Near to You
by sweetliar327
Summary: Post SSN2! Damon and Elena continue to search for Stefan, but they quickly realize he's a lost cause. While they struggle to fight their feelings for each other obstacles like doppelgangers, Originals, hybrids and the return of Stefan always seem to threaten their new and undefined relationship. Can Delena overcome anything or is their new found connection doomed from the start?
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to my own little world of crazy! First off, the summary is not as descriptive as it should be...there's a whole lot more to this story! :) I have no beta...so any mistakes are my own...and there are a few...I proofread a bajillion times but I tend to miss stuff still. Also, this chapter is super short...the rest are definitely wordier. If this first chapter doesn't grab you...try the second (it just might!) Without further ado...read on fellow Delena fans. **

Elena heard the whispers. She ignored them. Small towns meant everything turned into big news. Nothing was sacred. "I heard she cheated on him." "No! I heard he cheated on her!" There were others as well. Drugs. Rumors he hit her. Rumors she hit him. Trash. All of it. If only they knew the real reason.

Psychotic vampire werewolf hybrid enslaved her boyfriend. That was the real reason.

She held her head high and pushed through the double doors. She didn't even know why she was here. She should be out searching for him. She was the reason he was out there. If she hadn't been the doppelganger, if Stefan hadn't pulled her from the car, she wouldn't have lived and he wouldn't have come back to Mystic Falls.

Digging in her purse for her keys she didn't notice the tall, dark figure leaning against her car.

He frowned when he saw the circles under her eyes. Dammit, she had to start taking better care of herself. He made a mental note to find a way to help or make her sleep.

"There's concealer for bags, you know." Snarky comments got her back up, made her fight.

She looked up, surprised to find him there.

"Damon!" Her eyes lit up, and his undead, unbeating heart fluttered. She looked around quickly, "Any leads? Did you find him? Where have you been?" Disappointment flitted across his face, but he expected nothing less. Of course she wanted to know about Stefan. He held up one hand.

"Easy there, Gilbert. Get in, I'm taking you for food. Then we'll talk." He deftly snatched her keys from her hand. She opened her mouth to protest, and he placed his index finger over her lips. "Nope. Elena, seriously. After you eat. You look like death warmed over." She squinted her eyes at him. He squinted right back. Cupping her elbow firmly, he escorted her around the Ford Escape opened the car door helped her in and shut it smartly behind her.

"I-"

"Elena! I have lived, breathed, _not_ slept everything Stefan Salvatore for the last two weeks on the road. I promise to tell you everything, but please, please give me 30 minutes of your pleasant company before we rehash the past 14 days of the driving, drinking, compelling, chasing madness. Okay?" At her stiff nod, Damon pushed the power button on the radio and started singing. "All my single ladies, all my single ladies, all my single ladies, all my single ladies. Put your hands-What?" Elena was staring at him, mouth open.

"Beyonce. Really?" She asked, a slight smirk spreading on her beautiful face. Finally, a sign of life.

"It's your iPod, sweetheart."

"You're a freak." Elena told him, shaking her head.

"In many, many ways." He grinned and waggled his eyebrows at her. "Care to discover some others?" She huffed, crossed her arms and looked out the window. "Admit it, Elena."

"What?" She continued to stare out the window, not wanting him to see the light that had undoubtedly returned to her eyes. It may not be shining as bright as before but it was better now that he was home. And she didn't dare reveal it. Unbeknownst to her, he already knew.

"You missed me." He skipped to the next song, not expecting an answer but hearing one anyway. One he was sure, without his vampire hearing he never would have picked up.

"I did." Well, he'd be damned. Twice.

Popping his last French fry in his mouth, he washed it down with a swig of beer. She sat across from him, glaring. "If looks could kill," He murmured, taking another drink. He raised his bottle, catching the waitress' eye. She nodded and he set it back down.

"Are you done yet?" She growled.

"Yes. But you aren't. You haven't touched your pasta." He pointed at her plate. "Eat." Too bad she was wearing her necklace, he thought. Or he'd compel her to eat, if only it were that fucking simple. She picked up her fork, and poked around. She took a bite and chewed. "Now swallow." He said condescendingly. She did.

"Asshole." She snarled, taking another bite. Then another. By the time his beer arrived her plate was half empty. She needed to eat, she was too fucking skinny. She worried too much about Saint Stefan. Saint Stefan who was currently not so saintly. No, Saint Stefan was blazing across the continental states leaving a path of drained, tattered bodies in his wake. The Ripper was back, and Damon wasn't sure they could stop him. How could he tell Elena her boyfriend was a maniacal murderer bent on destroying the very part of him she loved? He stared into the fire, recalling the last few days with utter dread. He didn't want to tell her about the last family he found. Or what Stefan did to them. Even Damon in his worst monster moments wouldn't slaughter children.

Her fork clattered on her plate, forcing him to snap out of his thoughts. "Satisfied?" She asked. Her plate was clean, her arms were crossed again and she was staring him down. Again.

"Not even close," He murmured seductively, "But if you'd like a few pointers I'd be more than happy-hey!" She chucked her garlic bread at him. He laughed heartily. "Oh, Gilbert how I've missed you." The waitress came to take their plates away and Damon frowned under her intense gaze. He might as well get this over with. "It's bad, Elena." He told her. "Are you sure you want to discuss it here?" She swallowed visibly, and his eyes softened. "Are you sure you want to know, period?" She reached for his hand and gripped it. It was his turn to swallow. He stared down at their joined hands. He lived for her voluntary touches. He ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"I can handle it." She breathed softly. He nodded. Without breaking eye contact, he recounted the last few weeks for her, state by state, city by city, summarizing the attacks quickly, not dwelling on the horrid details. She didn't need to know all the gory details a Ripper could and would manage. Tears swelled in her eyes and he wished he could save her from this knowledge. But if there was one thing he always gave her, it was the truth. When he had finished, she finally looked away to compose herself. He released her hand to slide out of the booth and moved over to her side. Without saying anything, he pulled her into her arms and she went willingly. She sniffled once, and stayed where she was for a long time.

With her head resting against his chest, he lightly brushed his hands over her hair as he sat there staring again into the fire blazing in the fireplace. He savored these moments. Truly he did. "Thank you." She whispered finally.

"For what?" He asked, still stroking her hair.

"For telling me the truth."

"Always." She pulled away slowly, and stared up at him.

"So what happens now?"

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingered on her face. "It's up to you, Elena. If you want me to keep chasing him, I will. But, he's gone off the deep end. It took Lexi months, years to bring him back from the edge, and that was without Klaus' influence." He told her honestly. The waitress walked over then bringing Damon the check. He handed her his Black AmEx without taking his eyes off Elena. "Want me to take you home?" He asked her softly. She shook her head.

"No, I don't want to be alone." After signing the receipt, Damon slid out of the booth and offered her his hand. She placed her hand in his and scooted out behind him. He walked out, her trailing not far behind him still holding his hand.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Just a brief head's up. Elena's had her 18****th****birthday, Stefan did not call her. Andie is still alive. Caroline and Tyler are still dancing around each other, not dating. Unless I mention it happening, assume it didn't. I plan on using some elements from Season 3 but not all! ****Thank y'all for adding and following me! I wrote and re-wrote this chapter multiple times and I'm still not very happy with it but I wanted to get the next chapter out there! Enjoy and feel free to hit that little review button at the bottom and leave me some love. Also, Happy Thanksgiving! 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries, and if I did Delena certainly wouldn't have taken 3 ½ years!**

"I don't know what to do." Elena whispered across the pillow. She was curled up into the fetal position hands under her head. "He's done some awful things, but nothing he's not done before. He came back from it once. He can do it again." She sighed and rolled onto her back. Her hands came up to cover her face. "But then he's shown no signs of feeling remorse, no signs that he wants to stop, or wants help. I feel like screaming! Am I crazy for wanting to save him? Should I let him go?"

Arms came around her, hugged her tight. "You're not crazy. You love him."

"I do. Even after everything. God, what do I do?"

"You have no closure. You need closure. I think it's time to let him go, Elena. It's for the best." Elena nodded and tears started to fill her eyes.

"I think so too. Where do I even begin, though? How do I get closure from someone who isn't here? And who I may never see again?"

"I'm not sure. But we've got time, we'll figure it out. I promise." Elena brushed the tears off of her cheeks and braved a smile.

"Thanks. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Let's hope we never find out." Elena reached over to turn off the light. "Love you, Elena."

"Love you too, Care. Night." Elena closed her eyes, hoping against all hope that she wouldn't dream of the horrific things Damon had told her earlier.

* * *

The next morning as they got ready for school, Caroline kept staring at Elena. Elena brushed her teeth, then her hair and was applying her mascara when she snapped. "Oh, just say it already Caroline!"

Caroline grinned. "Touchy, are we?" Elena glared, if you could call it glaring while leaning forward, mouth open looking that some kind of special a female always did when applying mascara.

"Get it off your chest. I can tell you've been itching to ask me something since Damon dropped me off last night." Elena leaned back, blinked a few times and spun the top back on her mascara bottle.

"So what's going on between the two of you?" Caroline pursed her lips to apply her lip gloss and then smacked them loudly. "You looked awfully cozy last night." She said in a sing-song voice. Elena remained quiet.

"He's been a good friend, Caroline."

"A good friend that would jump your bones if you so much as blinked twice at him." Caroline quipped, tossing her head. Elena blushed and opened her mouth to protest. "Oh, don't even bother. You know it's true."

"I….he…."

"So everybody knows how _he_ feels….." Caroline fished. The doorbell rang downstairs. Elena let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"You should get that." Elena told her, thinking 'saved by the bell.'

"Nope." She tilted her head. "It's just Bonnie. She can wait."

"Caroline."

"Oh, come on Elena! It wasn't so long ago that you kissed him!" Caroline put her hands on her hips.

"He was dying!" Elena protested. "Yes, I care about him, Caroline."

"There it is," Caroline threw up her hands. "The truth shall set you free!" She winked at Elena. "We will be discussing this later." Elena sighed and left the bathroom, grabbing her bag as Caroline skipped down the stairs to let Bonnie in. Damon had suggested she go to Caroline's last night, he claimed to have things he needed to take care of. Elena hadn't cared at that point; she just didn't want to be alone. Bonnie hadn't been able to come over, her dad protesting that it was a school night. He had walked her to the door, greeted Caroline, told her he'd see her tomorrow and disappeared, leaving Elena's car behind.

Trudging down the stairs, Elena saw Bonnie who gave her a sad smile. Bonnie opened her arms, and Elena stepped into them. "It'll be alright. We'll figure something out." Bonnie whispered. Elena nodded. Caroline appeared with her bag and they left the house for school. When they got in the car Caroline turned Elena's iPod to shuffle and kept it slightly muted so they could talk.

"So….the homecoming dance is next weekend!" Caroline squealed, clapping her hands together. She spun to face Bonnie. "Can we go as each other's dates?" Bonnie made a face. "What, Bonnie? Too good for us now?"

"No! Of course not….I may or may not have already talked to Jeremy about it." Bonnie admitted reluctantly.

Caroline huffed. "Bonnie! What happened to solidarity?" Elena smiled; glad the focus was currently not on her.

"You're just mad because Tyler won't ask you!" Bonnie squawked, crossing her arms.

"If I wanted Tyler to ask me, Tyler would ask me." Caroline cried. Elena and Bonnie both laughed. As Elena pulled into the parking lot, and parked in her spot "All my Single Ladies" came on over the speakers. Elena smiled remembering Damon's effort to cheer her up last night. "What's with the all that cheese?" Caroline asked, waving a finger in a circle at Elena's face.

Elena just shook her head and turned off the car. "Nothing. Just a memory. C'mon ladies. Let us pretend to be studious."

The rest of the day just dragged on. Ric pulled her aside before class and asked how she was doing. Apparently Damon had stopped by and given him a brief recap of Stefan's activities. She assured him she was fine and that they could talk about it later. He gave her a brief hug which she returned and slipped into the classroom. The seat beside her was empty, had been since the start of school. No one dared to sit there. Elena caught herself staring at it often. "You alright?" Matt whispered in her ear, leaning forward in his seat. She turned to look at him.

"I wish people would stop asking me that." She hissed and turned back to face the front.

"Sorry." He said. "I just worry about you." He leaned back and crossed his arms, pouting. Elena let out a sigh and turned around to give him a small smile.

"I'm sorry too." She mouthed.

"Mr. Donovan, Miss Gilbert. Is there a problem?" Ric asked, calling them out in the middle of his lecture. Elena shook her head, and Matt gave him a quick "no, sir." Alaric smiled a chastising smile. "So then we can continue with the lecture?" Matt sunk lower in his chair and Elena made a face at Ric that with any other teacher would have gotten her in trouble. He grinned. "Alright then," he said and resumed his droning on about the Civil War.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She discreetly pulled it out far enough to read the message.

_Possible location on Stefan. Pow wow at your place after school. _

Elena's heart began to race. Damon had found him. Now it was decision time. Damon had told her that he would keep trying. Elena just didn't know if she wanted him to. One thing was for sure, Caroline was right. She needed closure. The only way to get that was to see Stefan in person. She was going with Damon on his next trip, whether he liked it or not. She needed to see this mess Stefan had become for herself. Only then would she be able to truly understand that he wasn't coming back. She would cope, that's what she did. She coped with her parent's death, she coped with Jenna's death, she coped with the fact that she was in love with a vampire. Yeah, coping wouldn't be the problem.

Convincing Damon, Ric and Jeremy and probably Bonnie and Caroline that she needed to go….that would be the problem.

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Damon yelled. He even slammed down his glass of bourbon. Everyone glared at her, most with arms crossed ready for a fight. "There is no way in hell I am letting you go."

"I'm not a child, Damon. I understand the risks, and am making the decision to go." Elena said calmly, hoping to keep everyone complacent.

"Being eighteen does not make you any less of a child, Elena. Stefan is off the rails. There's no guarantee that he or Klaus are anything resembling sane. It's too risky."

"Since you and Stefan have set foot in Mystic Falls everything has been risky." Elena countered. She risked a look at Alaric, who did not look happy. None of them looked happy. Too bad, Elena thought, this is happening. "Damnit, Damon if there's a chance, even a slight one that we can bring him back I have to try." Damon rolled his eyes and stalked off. Caroline and Bonnie sat together on the couch. Jeremy stood behind Bonnie and was shaking his head at her. "All I'm asking for is one shot. If this one doesn't work, I promise I'll let him go."

Caroline smiled gently at her. "Do you want me to come?"

"I'd rather not risk anyone else." Elena answered but returned her smile. "Let me go talk to Damon." She left them all muttering to themselves and found Damon standing at the sink, staring out the window. "I'll do whatever you say." She told him.

Damon's laugh was cold, harsh. "Sure you will, Elena."

"I will. If you tell me to stay in the car, I'll stay in the car. If you tell me…."

Damon spun around. "I will take you on one condition. And it is not negotiable." He pointed his finger at her face. Elena began to shake her head, knowing his terms before he even told her. "You will have vampire blood in your veins at all times or you're not going. End of story. Do we have a deal?"

Elena hung her head, took a deep breath and let it out. "Yes." This was that important to her.

He nodded once, looking not at all pleased about this arrangement. "Fine. Pack your bags. We'll leave in the morning." He stalked to the door, wrenched it open.

"Wait. Where are we going?" She called to him before he disappeared.

"Chicago." He hissed and slammed the door behind him.


	3. Chapter 3

**S****o….I was not planning on updating so soon but today was super slow at work and this chapter just begged to be written, it practically wrote itself! And I guess I just needed a Delena fix while I wait oh so patiently for Thursday's episode. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to review and leave me your thoughts, critiques, or just plain love. **

**Also, I know little to nothing about Chicago. What I do know I learned from the internet and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, so if I screw something up…I'm sorry. And it's really late, and I did proofread but I probably missed stuff. Forgive me!**

**And the usual disclaimer: I own nothing; well I do own a Ferris Bueller's Day off DVD. **

Damon stared at the wall, brooding. It was all very Stefan-like. His overnight bag was sitting by the door. He had never unpacked, there was no point. These days he was constantly on the road. He knocked back another glass of bourbon and leaned his head back against the sofa. Elena was going to be the death of him. He still couldn't believe he'd agreed to take her with him. Stupid. Not only was she a liability, but he wouldn't be able to focus for worrying about her.

He was still reeling from her quick agreement to his condition, too. He expected that to be a quick no. She'd shocked the hell out of him, just when he started to think she was predictable. He heard the front door open and close and the quick 'tap tap' of heels. Andie.

"In here!" He called out. She strolled into the room and over to him. "Hey." He said grumpily.

"Hey." She said, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He handed her his glass. She dumped her purse on the end table across from him and walked over to the wet bar to pour herself a big glass of wine and refill his glass. "How was your day?" She asked as she dropped down onto the sofa beside him and handed him his drink.

"Hmmph." He grumbled. He didn't much feel like conversation, and she knew him well.

"Hungry?" She loosened her scarf, tilted her head back offering him her neck. The puncture marks on her neck gleamed angrily at him, still red from his feed last night. He shook his head. "Oh." She murmured, surprised. She gestured to his bag by the door. "When are you leaving?" She asked.

"Tomorrow." He told her. He debated on telling her to go home; he didn't feel like company tonight. She was pleasant to be around, but a poor substitute for the woman he really wanted to be with. Tonight though, he was in a foul mood and didn't feel like being around anyone.

"What did she do?" Andie wondered, sipping on her wine.

"Huh?" He said, startled. He turned to look at her.

"Elena. What did she do?" He must have looked as flabbergasted as he felt because she laughed. "You only are this unreachable when you've had a bad encounter with Elena." She explained. Damon growled. Andie held up her hands in a mock defense and smiled. "It's the truth. So what did she do?"

Damon took a deep breath and grit his teeth. "She's going with me."

"Oh." Andie frowned. "What made you agree to that?

"Pure idiocy." He slammed his glass down on the end table. It was in her nature to be inquisitive; it was part of her job. But right now? She was starting to piss him off. He could feel his anger rising, his true nature growing inside him. He ran his tongue along his teeth, feeling his canines lengthen. "You should leave." He hissed. He gripped the armrest, fully irritated now.

"It's alright." She murmured soothingly. She reached up to cup his cheek. He jerked away from her touch.

"Go." He growled. "Final warning." Andie knew him, knew his moods. She stayed. And he fed.

* * *

Elena waltzed in the door, duffle bag in hand. It was early, but she had a feeling he would want to leave early. Waiting on him would have shot her already worn nerves all to hell so she got up early and drove over. She was sure he was still pissed, but that was Damon and he'd get over it. Hopefully. Elena set her bag down next to his and wandered into the study. Andie's purse was on the coffee table and her shoes left carelessly on the rug in front of the sofa.

"Oh." Elena murmured. It had been a while since she'd seen Andie. She'd known Damon still kept her around but it gave her a strange feeling. She frowned and made her way to the kitchen. She'd fix herself some breakfast, or try. Her stomach was in knots anyway, she was extremely nervous about this trip and resigned at the same time. Whatever happened happened. And this trip would be the end of it, whatever the outcome. She opened the refrigerator to see what she could find, not expecting much since Damon had scarcely been home for over 24 hours. A thermos sat smack dab in the middle of the otherwise empty refrigerator. Elena eyed it warily. There was a sticky note attached to it. 'Drink this,' it read in Damon's elegant scrawl.

She snatched it up and spun the top off of it. She sniffed it hesitantly, fruit. She looked at it a little closer. It looked like a smoothie. Elena scrunched her nose at it. Strawberry, banana, raspberry just based on her sense of smell. He had made her a smoothie? Or was this for Andie? Then it dawned on her. His condition. This must have some of his blood in it. She sipped it delicately, expecting to hate it immediately. It was shockingly good. Before she knew it, the thermos was empty. She quickly washed it and placed it back on the counter by the fridge. She snacked on a banana that he'd left on the counter and sidled up to the breakfast bar. She started nosing around on her phone looking at various colleges. She'd need to begin submitting applications soon. She sighed, at the rate she was going, she'd be lucky to make it through her senior year.

She heard steps on the stairs and knew immediately it had to be Andie. She breezed past Elena, snagging a banana as she walked by. Andie was looking sharp in a red business suit, her auburn hair twisted up in a knot. A black silk scarf was tied neatly around her neck. Elena frowned, that weird feeling was back. Andie turned to smile at Elena.

"Good morning, Elena." She greeted her warmly.

"Hey, Andie." Elena returned, a little more reserved.

"Have fun on your trip." Andie told her, and then leaned a little closer. "Go easy on him," she whispered conspiratorially "he's in a horrid mood." Elena felt a light breeze at her back before she heard or saw him. He had snuck up on them. He glared at Andie, and then turned his eyes on Elena. Andie grinned at him, kissed him on the cheek murmured a goodbye and waltzed out the door.

Damon continued to glare at her, not saying a word. Elena crossed her arms on the breakfast bar, and glared back. He never blinked. A staring contest, really? She knew she'd lose but she could be just as stubborn as him. She raised an eyebrow, challenging him. He shook his head and looked away. "You ate?" He asked gruffly. She raised her eyebrow higher then looked down at her banana peel. "Good. Let's go." And he turned on his heel and walked out of the room.

Elena blew out a dramatic sigh. Well, this should be fun.

* * *

They rode in silence. Elena crossed her arms and kept her eyes on the scenery. The mountains were beautiful this time of year. She dug a textbook out of her book bag. She was so behind on her AP Lit it wasn't funny. Pulling out Ethan Frome, she rested her knees up on the dash and started reading. She was halfway done when he pulled off the highway. Eager to stretch her legs she sat up quickly. He turned right off the exit and parked next to a gas station with a diner attached to it. Elena stretched in the seat as much as she could; twisting so she could extend her arm into the back seat and not have to touch Damon. He stared at her, then cleared his throat.

"We'll eat then get back on the road." He murmured somewhat hoarsely. She gave him a weird look, and then nodded. He got out of the car quickly, and she followed suit. He was standing at the entrance, holding the door open for her when she walked up.

"Thank you." She said genuinely.

"You're welcome." He said softly. Elena wondered if he was starting to warm up. She didn't like this silence between them. She'd rather have him yelling at her, than not talking at all. They sat down across from each other in a booth and Elena couldn't help but remember the last time they had eaten together. He had been so protective, so caring. She sighed and opened the menu. He did the same and she quickly decided on a chef salad, a good safe bet in a diner. She closed her menu and found him staring at her.

"Are you gonna speak to me or keep up this silent treatment for the rest of this trip? It's kind of ridiculous if we don't go into this with a plan." She told him. The waitress, Cathy, according to her name badge wandered up to their table but couldn't keep her eyes off of Damon.

"What can I get for you?" She asked with a smile, thrusting her chest forward to promote her assets. Elena rolled her eyes.

Damon ordered quickly, not making eye contact with her, effectively ignoring her and Elena offered up her order. Damon nodded at the waitress with a look of 'why are you still here' and turned back to Elena.

"You're on a need to know basis." He told her with a glint in his eye.

Elena huffed and snarled at him. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You're putting yourself in unnecessary danger. That is my problem." He told her stiffly.

She rolled her eyes. "Every day I'm in unnecessary danger, Damon!" She sighed. "What's different here or there?"

"Klaus thinks you're dead!" He pointed his finger at her. "As long as he thinks that, you're safe. And you want to just waltz into town and snatch Stefan? It's not gonna be easy! There's risk, Elena. And I'm tired of you being at risk." He admitted.

The waitress walked over with their drinks and they were both so intent on arguing with each other, they barely noticed.

Elena softened a little as his tirade. "I'm not just waltzing into town, Damon. I trust that you have a plan and I know that you won't let anything happen to me."

"You're damn right I won't. But you're so stubborn you like to try and take matters in your own hands and your decisions, Elena? They tend to suck. Or involve self sacrifice, which is just…." He shook his head.

She had him talking now, and everything was just pouring out. "I told you I'd listen to you." She pleaded.

"Yeah, well you've told me plenty before….forgive me if I don't take you at your word!" He sighed, and hung his head, his rant over. "I've told you this before; I won't lose you." Elena's heart broke a little.

"And I've told you before; you won't." She gave him a small smile, and reached for his hand which was fisted on top of the table. She placed her hand over his gently. "I'm assuming your smoothie this morning had a little something extra in it, right?" He gave her a 'what do you think' look and she nodded. "That's what I thought. So your bases are covered."

"You dying? That's the only way my blood will be a factor. I don't consider that an approved outcome." The waitress brought out their food, asked Damon if they needed anything else. Damon ignored her, choosing to continue looking at Elena.

Elena had finally had enough. "We're good, thanks." She told Cathy and picked up her fork. Damon chuckled at Elena, amused. He ate his lunch quickly, which encouraged her to do the same. Once his plate was cleared, he leaned back against the booth, resting his arm along the back of the seat. Elena saw the waitress out of the corner of her eye writing on her notepad. She shook her head in amazement. As the waitress approached, Elena crossed her arms. Cathy put her hand on Damon's shoulder and leaned down to offer him the check. He watched Elena, clearly enjoying her aggravation. Elena spotted a phone number on the bill. She reached out to snatch it. She'd had enough. "Yes, he's very attractive. But he's clearly sitting here with me, and clearly not paying any attention to you. So I suggest you back off and learn to quit while you're ahead." The grin on Damon's face was huge. He obviously thought her rant was hilarious.

Cathy's eyebrows rose but she said nothing and stalked off. Damon's shoulders were shaking. Elena just rolled her eyes. "She couldn't take a hint!" Elena shook her head.

"If I didn't know any better, Gilbert I'd say you were jealous." Damon told her, finishing his drink and pulling a $20 bill from his wallet.

"She's all but throwing herself…..I am _not_ jealous!" She protested, sputtering to convince him. "I mean, how did she know I wasn't your girlfriend? I mean I guess we were arguing and all but…" Damon was laughing harder now.

"Come on, Elena. We've got a lot of ground to cover." He stepped out of the booth and offered her his hand to help her up. She took his hand but immediately dropped it afterwards. He swept his arm to indicate she should walk in front of him and she did, hoping it would hide her blush. Mentally reviewing her embarrassing spiel, she figured she should stop trying to fix it and just let it go. Damon would only tease her more. He opened her car door for her, and she crawled in, grabbed her book and immediately began reading again.

She chanced a look at him briefly when he backed the Camaro out to find him still grinning. Well at least he was in a better mood. That alone was encouraging.

* * *

It was late when they finally made it into Chicago. He had made one more pit stop for her to stretch her legs, to gas up the car and to grab some snacks. They drove through downtown Chicago, Elena just gazing out the window at all the buildings and sights and people. They were driving around the curve of the river when Damon suddenly pulled into a parking garage. He slid a key card into the wall and punched in a code on a pin pad. She sat up in her seat. "Where are we going?" She asked. Damon looked over at her.

"I keep a condo here. Don't worry. Stefan doesn't know about it." Damon drove down a few sublevels and parked in a designated spot. Getting out of the car, he grabbed both of their duffel bags, a small cooler and a much bigger bag that looked like a weapon bag. Given their mission, it wasn't entirely out of place. Damon led the way and Elena followed behind meekly.

Having been in the car all day, she was extremely tired. Glad they would have a night to rest, she watched as he swiped his card at the elevator, punched a few buttons and they began to rise. "What is this place?"

"Trump Towers Chicago." He told her, she turned to face him.

"You have a condo in the Trump Tower?" Elena asked incredulously.

"I like to live large." He grinned. "Donald and I go way back." He teased.

"Shut up." She laughed, and then blushed when a yawn escaped. "Where do you get all this money?"

"I have my ways." She raised her eyebrows at him. It was his turn to laugh. "You live long enough, you learn a few tricks. I'll tell you about it one day," he paused. "When you're older." Rolling her eyes at him, she turned to face the front when the elevators doors opened. "Left." He told her. "Third door on the right." She followed his instructions and stopped in front of the door. He produced a key out of his pocket and let her in.

Waving his hand in front of her, he allowed her to enter first. His apartment was absolutely gorgeous. It was all hardwood and the foyer was long, leading into an open living room with floor to ceiling windows. It had a breathtaking view of the city and the river. The furniture was modern but comfortable looking in warm, earthy tones. Elena spun around in the living room. "You live in Mystic Falls when you could live here." She whispered. "Why?"

He stayed silent choosing not to answer her question. She already knew the answer anyways. "I have places everywhere, Elena. I go where the wind takes me." He answered softly.

"Colleges." Elena said randomly. "I've been thinking about Northwestern. They have a great journalism program." She yawned again.

"Well, that's definitely something that can wait until tomorrow to be discussed. Let's get you a decent night's sleep and tomorrow we'll begin plan A." Damon told her. He turned her in the direction of a bedroom. He set her bag on the floor and pushed her gently towards the bed. "Bathroom's through there." He pointed at a closed door in her room, and then pointed behind him. "I'm just across the living room if you need me." He told her. "Good night, Elena. Sleep tight."

He shut the door. "Good night, Damon," she whispered. Shucking her t-shirt and then her bra she grabbed a pair of pajama shorts and a tank top out of her bag. She crawled under the covers snuggling into the clean smelling sheets. Elena closed her eyes, utter exhaustion beginning to win the battle to stay awake. Random thoughts began to filter through her head. Damon was just a never ending barrel of surprises lately. She was glad they had gotten through their little snit. She hated when they fought. Their plan would work much better now that he was actually speaking to her. Tomorrow they would separate Stefan from Klaus, tranquilize him with enough Vervain courtesy of Ric to kill a bear, chain him up and then drag him home where they would begin the slow process of bringing Stefan back from the Ripper that is consuming him.

First though they had to find them. In the 3rd largest city in the United States. No problem.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Wasn't really happy with this chapter either...but I'm posting it anyway so I can move onto the next one! -) I only incorporated elements from 'The End of the Affair' that I wanted, but there's more to come so stay tuned and feel free to leave me some love! **

She walked through the house slowly, cautiously. Everything was dark, and too quiet. She peeked around the corner of the living room and timidly made her way up the stairs. Strange, soft sounds were coming from the bedroom on the left. As she made her way in that direction she stared to notice a peculiar smell emanating from the room. Metallic. Blood. Standing at the bedroom door she pushed the door open and cringed as it squeaked.

There was a body stretched out on the floor, lying in a pool of blood and a second person sat on the floor next to it. Holding the body, he was cradling it almost and crying into the neck. Why was he crying? He lifted his head from the neck and Elena gasped. He wasn't crying! He was eating! Blood dripped down his handsome face, his mouth painted red and his eyes bloodshot. Oh, Stefan she thought, what have you done? He dropped the body on the floor and moved quickly heading towards Elena. She began to back up but he was too fast. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him, crushing her.

She looked past him at the body lying prone on the floor now, not moving. Oh, God he was dead? And then the face became clear, like a camera when it changes focus. Jeremy! Oh, no! Her brother! She began to struggle in Stefan's arms, crying out for her brother. "Jeremy! No, Jeremy! Stefan, what have you done?" She cried out. She began to thrash against him.

"Elena!" Stefan yelled. "Stop." He framed her face with his hands, held her so tenderly. "It's okay, sweetheart."

"No! No Stefan! You killed him!"

Stefan's eyes gleamed, his teeth flashed and he began to lower his face towards her neck.

"Elena! Wake up! It's just a dream, Elena. Open your eyes, sweetheart."

"No, oh God, Jer!" Elena screamed. Hand shook her shoulders. She opened her eyes. Damon! He was frowning, his eyes soft, concerned. He saw her eyes open, and clear the remnants of the dream. He pulled her into his arms, held her head to his shoulder.

"It's okay, sweetheart. It was just a nightmare." He whispered soothingly in her ear. Tears pooled in her eyes, spilled out onto his t-shirt. He rocked her slowly, back and forth murmuring nonsense to her. She sniffled against his shoulder and tightened her arms around him.

"Thank you." She whispered, then "I'm sorry."

He grasped her shoulders, pushed her back so he could see her face. "Jesus. Don't be sorry. It was a nightmare, Elena. I'm surprised you don't have them more often." She nodded and just looked at him, mesmerized by his ocean blue eyes. He ran a hand over her hair, effectively breaking her trance. "Do you want me to make you some hot chocolate?" She smiled softly at him.

"Sure." She whispered. She pushed the covers back and climbed out of bed. Damon stood up and walked into the kitchen. She followed behind him her feet padding softly on the hardwood floor. She hopped up onto the kitchen counter, bracing her hands on either side of her legs. Damon began to move around the kitchen taking out an old fashioned tea kettle and grabbing various items needed for hot chocolate. The home made kind. He reached for two large mugs and then turned to face her, leaning back against the counter.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked gently after observing her for a minute. Elena shrugged, avoiding his gaze. "Okay." The tea kettle began to whistle and he turned to begin making the hot chocolate.

"He killed Jeremy." Elena whispered, once his back was to her. "I found him holding Jeremy, blood all over his face, and when he saw me he came after me." Damon kept his back to her, afraid if he turned around, she'd stop talking.

He contemplated things to say to her, 'it was just a nightmare, Jeremy has an eternity ring, Stefan wouldn't do that' but it was all meaningless, so he kept silent. He hated to see her hurting, even from a dream. He mixed in some mini marshmallows and turned to hand her the mug. She smiled gratefully at him. She wrapped her hands around the mug, and inhaled deeply. He knew that this trip, this situation, and hell this life was taking its toll on her. He didn't know what to say.

"Distract me." She murmured, looking up at him with those big doe eyes. He sighed, thinking of multiple ways he could distract her, none of them beneficial to her at this point.

"So colleges, huh? You're thinking about Northwestern? It's a good school." She nodded at him.

"I've been thinking a lot about it lately. How much I'd like to get out of Mystic Falls, but I can't leave Jeremy, or uproot him. So I might do a year at the community college and then transfer." She said, sipping on her hot chocolate. "This is delicious."

"I think it would be good for you to get out of Mystic Falls. And Jeremy would be fine. He's grown a lot in the past year. But I understand the need to look out for your little brother." More than you know, he thought. She made eye contact with him again and the pain and sadness in them damn near broke his heart.

"Thanks." She snorted. "God, we can't keep the conversation away from it, can we?" She set down her mug and hopped off the counter. "Away from him? Away from this situation? I'm so tired of all this crap, Damon. So tired of it." She walked over to the windows, looking out at the city view. The sun would be coming up soon. Buildings were still illuminated, lighting the river and the city. It was breathtaking, but nothing was as breathtaking as seeing her standing there in his place, his own place.

She just fit here. He closed his eyes and could almost imagine it, her being accepted to Northwestern, moving to Chicago. She could stay here, or he could get her a place, either way he could be with her all the time, hell he could enroll in classes too. He wouldn't mind adding another degree to his collection. He'd never been to Northwestern. But it didn't have to be Northwestern, he'd follow her anywhere.

"It's so beautiful." She whispered, reverently.

"Yeah, it is." He replied, meaning more than just the view. She turned to face him, hearing the wistfulness in his voice.

"I should probably try and get some more sleep. Long day tomorrow." He just nodded; bringing himself back to reality was depressing. She wasn't going to move to Chicago, she wouldn't want him tagging along and she would probably never agree to living with him whether romantic natured or not. Unrequited love was such a bitch. She walked to her bedroom and spun sharply on her feet. "Damon?"

"Hmm?" He asked, looking over at her. She blushed and he sat up straighter, confused. Why was she blushing?

"I, um….do you mind maybe sitting in here with me? I might sleep better if you want and don't mind." She immediately shook her head. "You know what? Never mind. It's stupid; you need your rest too." She began to back into her room. He leapt up and went to her quickly before she could slam the door.

"I don't mind. And it's not stupid. I can rest easily anywhere." He tipped her chin up with his finger to meet her eyes.

"Okay." She said and turned to climb into the bed. He snagged one of the decorative chairs and plopped down into it, propping his feet up on the other side of the bed. She pulled the covers up to her chin and turned so she could face him. She yawned and said, "You don't have to sit in a chair, Damon."

"I'm fine, Elena. Go to sleep."

"You can lay on the bed. On top of the covers, of course."

"Oh, of course." He grinned. "I'm fine. Good night, Elena."

"Night, Damon." She whispered and closed her eyes.

* * *

He watched her sleep. It had taken a while for her breathing to even and the fidgeting to stop. Eventually though she had succumbed to her body's need for rest. He had nothing to do but think. He had feelers out already, testing the waters to see where Stefan and Klaus were holed up. Stefan had his regular haunts in Chicago, places he frequented often when they had both lived here in the twenties. They hadn't been on speaking terms then so they had avoided each other at all costs, but nevertheless Damon had kept an eye on Stefan. Damon considered their plan going over it backwards and forwards, thinking of every possible outcome. There were too many things that could go wrong, too many ways for them to fail. But he had promised Elena, and that was the end of it. He hoped for her sake that their plan worked.

A tiny whimper caught his attention. He leaned forward in his chair. "No," she cried softly. He moved to sit on the bed, cupped her cheek in his palm. She began to move restlessly on the bed.

"It's alright, Elena." He crooned to her. "You're safe." He ran his other hand over her hair, stroking it gently, soothing her. She calmed after a minute or so, and he pulled his hands back, ready to move back to his chair when she gripped his hand. His eyes flew to her face but she was still asleep.

"Don't go." She whispered and his heart tightened. He would kill to hear her speak those words to him while she was awake.

"I won't leave you." He murmured, and lay down beside her, holding her hand.

He woke curled around a warm body. He could hear her heartbeat deliciously beneath the surface. With nothing but a tilt of his head he could easily feed. Andie wouldn't mind. He tightened his hold, bringing her closer and was lowering his head when it hit him. The smell was all wrong. Andie smelled of lavender and vanilla an odd combo of shampoo and body lotion. He immediately let go of her, and propelled himself back over to the chair. Elena turned slowly to face him. She was blushing, and he'd be damned if it wasn't the cutest thing he'd ever seen. "You…" she started.

"I'm sorry. I fell asleep." He told her.

"It's alright, I just wasn't expecting it. But," she held up her hands. "No more nightmares."

"You were in the beginning of one, that's how I ended up on the bed."

"Oh." She nodded, "Well thank you, I slept very soundly." He couldn't take this anymore so he got up.

"I'll go make breakfast. If you want to freshen up, go ahead. We'll leave after we eat. Lots to do." And he slipped out of the room, shutting the door quickly behind him. He leaned against it for a moment, relishing the lingering warmth she had left imprinted on his body.

He began prepping her a smoothie with items delivered via room service at the hotel. They didn't normally cater to the condos but when you knew the right people you could get just about anything. It also helped if you were undeniably charming and had lots of money. Elena had liked the one he made yesterday, so he easily duplicated the recipe. Then, lowering his fangs and bringing his wrist to his mouth he punctured the skin and allowed several drops to fall into the blender. It mixed easily and it wasn't enough for her to taste but was enough to ensure that should the worst happen her death would not be final.

He popped some croissants into the oven to warm as he heard the shower cut off. It was something he couldn't allow his dirty mind to stray to. It would get him into too much trouble. His phone buzzed and he immediately reached for it. "Salvatore House of Horrors, Damon speaking."

"Any leads?" Ric asked, not bothering with any pretenses.

"One. Going to check it out after I feed Elena breakfast." Damon replied.

"Okay. Keep me updated? I'll have my phone on me at all times today."

"Yup." Damon poured the smoothie into a glass and grabbed the croissants out of the oven. "Hey, Ric? Has Elena been having nightmares?" He asked as nonchalantly as he could.

"Uh…not to my knowledge, but I couldn't tell you for sure. You'd have to ask Jeremy." Ric answered.

"Thanks, man. Call you later."

"Be careful with her." Ric added last minute.

"Always." Damon said and hung up. He dropped the phone onto the counter. Elena surfaced from the bedroom in jeans and a lightweight long sleeve shirt. "Hey."

"Hey." She said, sitting down at the breakfast bar, she had pulled her long sleeves over her hands and was gripping the ends in her fist. That wasn't like her.

"What's wrong?" He frowned.

"I'm just nervous." She admitted softly. Damon reached over the bar and covered her hand with his.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He insisted, he tipped her chin with his finger, forcing her to look at him. "You know that."

"Yeah." She answered, and turned away to sip her smoothie. "These are really good. Where did you learn to make smoothies?"

"I dated a health nut in the late nineties; it was all she would eat." He said with a grin. Elena smirked and finished off her drink and began working on her croissant. Once she was finished, Damon tossed her a zip up hoodie. "Let's go, Gilbert. Faster we get this done, the better." And they walked out the door.

* * *

"What is this place?" Elena asked as they pulled up in front of a dilapidated building downtown. Damon sighed and turned in his seat.

"This is where Stefan would bring his victims in the back in the day." Damon told her. "Stay in the car. I'm just going in to check and see if he's been here recently." He reached into the back seat to grab a Vervain dart, and handed one to her too. "Do not be afraid to use this." And then a stake. "Or this." She nodded at him, dumbly. The reality of the situation must finally be setting in, he thought. Good, she should be scared. "I'll be right back."

"Okay." She said firmly, the stake gripped in her hand upside down.

"Pointy end down, Elena." He laughed, and she glared at him then flipped the stake.

"Go already." Slipping out of the car, he strode into the building like he owned the place. The bottom floor was nothing to speak of, just rotted wooden tables, some abandoned machinery, and metal chairs. Basically a storage dump. The upstairs however was a sadist's paradise. Torture racks, belts, chains, metal slabs, and dried blood everywhere. Even Damon grimaced at the setup. However, everything was coated in a sheet of dust. No one had been here in a long, long time. Dead end number one.

He returned quickly to the car, and Elena frowned. "Nothing?"

"What? You expected to find him the first place we looked?" He laughed. She shook her head no, but you could tell by the look in her eye that she had.

"What now?" She asked, tucking the stake into her hoodie pocket.

"Next haunt." Cranking up the Camaro, he made a u-turn and headed down the alleyway. He hid his disappointment well, he hoped. He didn't want Elena knowing that this was the first place he had expected to find Stefan. He would spend days, weeks even holed up in that building. Shaking his head, he pulled into a parking lot that was a stone's throw from Stefan's hideout. He got out and came around to Elena's side of the car.

"What? You mean you're going to let me go in?" She asked, stepping out of the car.

"You'll be safer inside." Damon admitted, opening the bar door for her. As they entered, Damon nodded at the barkeeper whose eyes grew big as saucers. A few men were playing pool in the corner, and one sat a table in the back nursing a beer. No threats present, Damon relaxed. Just a little. The barkeeper threw her towel over her shoulder.

"Damon Salvatore. As I live and breathe…." She laughed. Damon smirked.

"It's nice to be famous." Damon sidled up to the bar and reached across to give her a hug. Maddie Long, Mad for short had always been a cool chick. And a vampire. The windows of the bar were UV resistant, allowing Mad to operate during the daytime. And hunt at night. She hugged him back.

"Who's the chick?" Mad asked, nodding in Elena's direction. Elena turned to face her and Mad hissed, jumping back.

"Whoa, sweetheart." Damon held up a hand and stepped in between the two, Elena didn't cower behind him but she was cautious as she should be. "She's with me, Mad. Maddie Long? Meet Elena Gilbert, the Petrova doppelganger. Elena, Maddie." Damon said as way of introductions. "She's Katherine's great great great something or other, but that's neither here nor there." Damon waved his hand. "I'm looking for my brother. Seen him?"

Maddie was still eyeing Elena with a distrustful eye, and Elena's hand was clasped firmly around her stake. Damon snapped his fingers in front of Maddie's face. She gave him a quick glance.

"Stefan?" Maddie asked. "Nah heard he's in town though."

Maddie motioned for them to join her in the back room. She set her towel down and hollered for some guy named Fish to take over the bar. They followed her to a storage room. Maddie turned to look at Damon. "Rumor is he's hanging with an Original." She told him. Damon nodded.

"Blah, blah, I'm here for information we don't already know, Mad." He rolled his eyes. "Where is he?"

"They've been hanging out at Gloria's."

"Gloria? She's still around? I'll be damned." He paused and grinned. "Well, you know what I mean."

"He's gone Ripper again, Damon." Maddie whispered. Damon turned to look back at Elena, whose eyes looked a little sad.

"We know. We're here to take him home."

"Good luck. You'll need it." With that, she disappeared through the barroom door, leaving Elena and Damon behind. Elena was biting her lip. Damon reached over and pulled her into a hug.

"C'mon. I know where he is." And they left silently, slipping out a back door.

Damon closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the seat. His car was parked around the corner in an alley back behind Gloria's. His mind was racing. It had all come down to this. He turned to look over at Elena. She was gripping her Vervain dart so hard her fingers were white. He placed his hand over hers, hoping to calm her.

"Hey. Look at me." She turned her gaze to him, and his heart melted. "We have one shot at this. I'll go in and distract Klaus. But you have maybe five minutes tops before he rips my head off. You can do this. Right?" She nodded and Damon took a deep breath. "Alright then." She could do this. God, he hoped she could. He could do it, too. For his brother. And Elena. He opened the car door.

"Be careful." She whispered softly after him.

"Careful's my middle name, sweetheart." He laughed and shut the door behind him. He slipped into the bar, unnoticed. Quickly scanning the room, he noticed Klaus sitting at the bar talking to Gloria. The old witch had aged well, looking ten maybe twenty years older than she had in the 1920's. Not bad. Stefan was sitting in a booth, whispering into a dazed woman's ear. Damon quickly texted Elena and made very brief eye contact with his little brother. Stefan raised his eyebrows, obviously surprised to see him there but he said nothing to alert Klaus. So there was hope. It was too risky for Elena to enter the bar, if Klaus saw her….so Damon whispered 'outside' knowing his brother would hear him. And hoping against all hope that Stefan wouldn't attack Elena and she could drug him in enough time to move forward with the plan. Stefan whispered something to his 'date' and began to slide out of the booth, following Damon out of the bar. Waltzing into the alleyway, Damon was shoved forcefully from behind. Quickly spinning on his heel, he moved out of the way, just as Stefan moved to shove him again.

"What the hell are you doing here? Are you nuts? If Klaus sees you he'll kill you. Jesus, Damon. Take a hint. I'm fine. Let me go." Stefan raged.

"I was going to. But your girlfriend is bound and determined to check you in to Vampire rehab! And she's turned into quite the bully." Relieved, that his brother still seemed to have some sense about him, Damon crossed his arms. Stefan moved into Damon's space, into his face.

"Well, tell her to forget about me." Stefan hissed.

"Tell her yourself." Damon said and nodded in Elena's direction. She stepped out of the shadows and stood not twenty feet away underneath a security light. She looked frail and innocent and absolutely beautiful. Damon shook his head. It's up to you now, sweetheart. And he snuck back into the bar for phase two.

* * *

His face was cold, his expression remote. Nothing like the Stefan she loved. Her heart broke a little as if it wasn't already in little pieces. "You need to leave." Stefan told her, no trace of warmth or love in his voice at all. She cringed.

"Come with us." She pleaded. "I can help you, Stefan. Let us help you." She reached up to touch his face, cup his cheek. He snatched her hand, held it in his grip. He didn't hurt her, but it was tight enough to know he meant it.

"Go home, Elena." He started to turn away and Elena reached for him.

"Stefan, wait!" She pulled him into a hug. He didn't return it at all. Elena knew it was now or never and she slipped her hand into her pocket, raised her arm to hug him and was about to stab him in the neck with the dart when he twisted her arm behind her.

"How much clearer can I be?" Stefan hissed in her ear, "I don't want to come home. That part of my life is done. It's never going to be the same!" He yelled. He released her, shoving her away from him. "I've left bodies scattered from Florida to Oregon, Elena. Innocent people!"

"I can help you, Stefan. Lexi did it before, let me help you." Elena pleaded.

"That took thirty years! That's nothing to a vampire, but to you? It's half your life." He shook his head, his resolve hardening. Elena could see him distancing himself further and further and further. A single tear began its trek down her cheek. He paused and for a second she thought she might be able to reach him, just try one more time. And then he summed it all up. "Go home, Elena. I don't want to see you. I don't want to be with you. I just want you to go." And he turned on his heel and walked away. She had failed. He was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Who else loved and hated tonight's episode! I won't spoil it...but I was super happy one moment and really disappointed with the 'revelation' the next! Thanks to all the followers and those who have clicked favorite! I love getting those emails! Feel free to review too, I write much faster when I get those puppies! :) **

It was too quiet, she knew. The silence was deafening. She reached over to turn on the radio, cranking up some Queen. We are the Champions just didn't fit the current situation so she snapped the radio right back off. The ride back was going to be a long one. Long and agonizing. Damon wouldn't ask her if she was okay. He had once and she had just ignored him, telling him to just drive. He knew better than to ask again. She liked that about Damon. Their failure weighed heavily on him too. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. She sighed and as she did she felt Damon's eyes on her. They had been driving for quite some time now. They were halfway through Ohio when he broke the silence.

"You hungry?" He asked. Elena shook her head, not bothering to turn her head to look at him. She couldn't eat, couldn't fathom eating. She felt sick. "You need to eat." She didn't respond. "Elena, you haven't eaten since breakfast."

"I'm fine." She told him, aggravation clear in her tone. She kept her eyes on the tree line.

"Elena." He sighed.

"I'm fine, Damon." She snapped at him. She could almost hear him biting his tongue. She blew out a breath, relieved that he wasn't going to test her on this. Her relief was short lived. Less than a mile later, he pulled to the side of the road. Rolling her eyes, Elena crossed her arms over her chest refusing to move. He opened his car door and a fraction of a second later he was opening her car door and unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Get your ass out of the car, Gilbert." He stood there, leaning on the open door. She didn't budge, arms still crossed. The seat belt had yet to retract because her arms were still crossed. "You have ten seconds. And that is me being generous." He stepped back away from the door and mimicked her pose. "Do not make me count."

Gritting her teeth, Elena uncrossed her arms allowing the belt to retract and stepped out of the car. "I'm fine." She spread her arms and spun in a circle to reinforce it. "No bruises, no bite marks, no stab wounds. I'm fine. I'm just not hungry, Damon. Can we go now? Please?"

Damon's eyes softened and he reached out to touch her cheek. "Your bruises are under the surface. He declined our help, Elena. He told us to go home and that he didn't want to be with you." She flinched as he hit that open wound. "Whether you want to admit it or not, it hurt you. _He _hurt you. And I'm sorry for that, Elena." He stepped closer, framing her face with both hands now, his eyes burning into hers. A girl could drown in those eyes, she thought to herself. She was barely treading water as it was. She sighed softly. Some of her resolve began to soften her anger and hurt and despair draining out. She turned her cheek into his palm, just a little. But it was enough for him to notice. "I refuse to stand by and watch you clam up and shut down. Don't let him break you." He whispered softly.

"I'm not going to break, Damon. I'm mad. Mad that I wasted months on someone who didn't want my help or return my feelings. It sucks. But you have to just let me sulk, leave me alone and I'll get over it. It might take a while, but I'm not fragile. I won't self destruct. I just need time." And without another word, she slid back into her seat buckled her seatbelt and crossed her arms again.

"I've got plenty of that," he murmured, shutting the door and climbing back in the driver's seat. As he pulled off, he reached to turn the radio on. A slow rock ballad played and Elena turned it up, Damon looked over at her and she gave him a small smile. Bunching up her hoodie, she wedged it in between her head and the window. Then with a resounding sigh, she closed her eyes and slept.

* * *

Elena entered the Salvatore boarding house without knocking. It had been a long time since she had knocked on the door. "Anybody home?" She called out, nudging the door shut with her hip. In her hands she carried a box full of stuff. Stefan's stuff. Stuff she had lying around the house and didn't want to look at anymore. She got no response so she started climbing the stairs to Stefan's room. The door to his room was shut firmly. Elena opened it slowly, the door creaking from months of no use. Nothing had been touched, not by Damon, and not by herself. She walked in and was swarmed by memories. She sighed, and set the box down on his ancient writing desk. His journal was still open. Elena glanced at it quickly, noting the last entry in which Stefan vowed to find the cure for his brother. Well he had found it and lost himself in the process; Elena thought and flipped the journal shut. Taking one last look around the room she moved to close the door. She felt a whisper of a breeze on her back and spun immediately on her heel. Her jaw dropped. "Hello, love. Fancy meeting you here. Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't you supposed to be dead?" Klaus mused. Elena gasped and backed up until her back hit the door. She had nowhere to go! Should she cry out for Damon? If Klaus was here then Stefan must not be very far. Would Stefan save her? She didn't know! Panic began to creep up on her. "You know I knew something must be off when my hybrids continued to fail. Stefan did a fine job of keeping his mouth shut about it. He and I will certainly have a chat about that." Klaus began to creep closer and Elena screamed for Damon. "Oh, no sense in that, love. He's long gone. When his brother rebuked his offer to come home Damon took off. Nothing holding him here." Klaus tapped his chin and displayed a truly evil grin. "Not even you. How disappointing, I'm sure." Klaus extended his hands, running one finger over her hair. "Sad I have to do this really. You truly are lovely." Wrapping one hand around her neck, he lifted her easily and began to choke her.

Gasping for air, Elena woke her hands immediately flying to her neck. She coughed once, almost like she could feel his fingers squeeze. She looked around taking in her surroundings. She took deep breaths, trying to stave off the panic. Start with the facts, Elena. She was at home, she was safe. Klaus didn't know she was alive. She was in her bed, in her bedroom. She sat up, the covers failing to her waist. She heard the muted sounds of the TV from downstairs and glanced at the alarm clock. 3:47. Running a hand through her hair, she sighed and swung her legs out from under the covers. Her phone was charging on her nightstand and her duffel bag sat neatly on her window seat. She grabbed her phone and her robe she shuffled down the stairs wrapping her robe around her as she went. Jeremy and Alaric were playing Xbox and didn't hear her as she snuck up behind them.

"Seriously?" She whispered in Jeremy's ear. He jumped several inches off the couch and she cracked a small smile.

"Hey. You're up?" Alaric asked after pausing the game. "Damon thought you'd at least sleep until the morning." He looked over at her, concerned. Elena shrugged.

"Well, Damon was wrong." She said, dropping down into an oversized chair. "Where is he by the way?"

"Blood bag run. Said he'd be back by the time you woke up," Jeremy informed her. She yawned and pulled her phone out of her pocket. Pressing the direct dial on her phone she pretended not to notice that her hand shook a little. She held the phone up to her ear and waited.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" He scolded.

"Well, hello to you too. No hi, how are you feeling, I miss you?" She asked, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"Hi. How are you feeling? I miss you." He replied a smirk evident in his tone.

"I was kidding." She said.

"I know." He paused, "I wasn't." He let that sink in. She chose to ignore him.

"Where are you now?"

"Why? You miss me?" She just knew he was doing his eye thing and grinning like a Cheshire cat.

She sighed. "No, I just didn't think you were going to leave me here and take off." She cringed when she realized she sounded sort of pouty. Jeremy turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow. Elena snarled at him.

Damon's tone changed, softened. "You needed your rest. I needed to eat. I'm on my way back now. Go back upstairs, try to sleep. I'll be there when you wake in the morning. I promise."

"When you get here…?" She asked, tapering off at the end, knowing he heard the question in her voice.

"Oh. Yeah, I'll come right up." He told her. She swallowed deeply, relieved. He would help with the nightmares. Damon would keep them at bay.

"Thanks." She hung up. Alaric and Jeremy averted their eyes and started the game back up. Elena stood. "I'm just gonna get a glass of water and go back to bed." They nodded in unison.

"Sleep well." Alaric called as she trudged back up the stairs. Elena murmured a reply and when she got to her room she stopped at the door and just gazed in. So much had happened in here. Those events alone were enough to give her nightmares. Finally deciding to walk in, she turned on the bedside lamp so the room was flooded with light and crawled under the covers. She snagged her teddy bear off of the other side of the bed, clutching it to her chest. Elena curled up into the fetal position and squeezed her eyes shut trying to think of happy thoughts.

She was half asleep a while later when she heard the whisper of her door against the carpet. Her eyes flew open and she spun in terror just to see Damon quietly shut the door. His hands came up, "It's just me." He shed his jacket, placing it over her chair and Elena took a few deep breaths. He frowned. "Was it bad?" She nodded and he reached to run a hand over her hair. "I'm sorry." He plopped down onto her window seat, crossing his booted feet at the ankles. "Sleep now." He whispered. "I'm here." Nodding, she closed her eyes. Sighing softly, she tossed, then turned, plumped her pillow then turned again. Elena groaned in frustration and heard Damon chuckle softly.

"It's not funny." She whispered her back to him.

"I know it's not." He said gently in her ear. He had lain down next to her. Elena's head lifted off the pillow, and then she sat up. "Relax." He reached for her hand.

"No compulsion." She hissed.

"I'm not going to compel you, Elena. Lay on your stomach." He told her, "You slept better on your stomach last night." She squinted her eyes at him. He sighed. "Trust me." She flipped onto her stomach, and he began to rub his thumb gently back and forth over the back of her hand.

"I do." She shut her eyes. "Thank you." She murmured and she snuggled closer into the covers, sighed deeply and slept soundly.

* * *

She had been having the most delicious dream. Elena curled into the warmth that surrounded her, snuggling closer. She loved lazy mornings when Stefan would let her sleep as long as she desired. "Hmmm." She hummed, recalling in her dream when Stefan had….she sat straight up. Stefan was in Chicago. They had left him there. So, by process of elimination Stefan was not the one she had just snuggled into. Leaping out of bed, she turned around by her dresser to face the man currently lying in her bed. His eyes were wide open, hands behind his head, his feet crossed at the ankles and he had the biggest smirk on his face. Elena ran her hand over her face, sighing.

"Good morning." He said sounding surprisingly chipper. "Sleep well?"

"When? How?"

"You wanted to cuddle. And you know I'm always happy to oblige." He waggled his eyebrows at her. She frowned and opened her mouth to speak. He cut her off. "Did you have any nightmares?" Elena took a second, pondered and was about to shake her head, when she realized that the dream the one she had about Stefan? Didn't have Stefan in it; it starred Damon. That was…intriguing, for lack of a better word. She needed to reflect on that and what it meant. Seeing as how he was still lounging in her bed looking nothing short of disheveled and completely mouth watering Elena forced herself to remember that she was just coming out of a very intense and complicated relationship. And that she had absolutely no intention of rebounding with anyone anytime soon, especially not her ex-boyfriend's brother who alternately drove her crazy and kept her sane at the same time.

"Do you mind?" She asked nodding her head in the direction of the door. "I have things to attend to." Damon quirked his mouth at her, but rose from her bed all the same. Snagging his boots and his jacket, he breezed by her.

"Fine. Be that way." He fake pouted, then he grinned. "I'll see you later. Oh! And you're welcome." He told her as he skipped down the stairs. Elena all but slammed the door as he left. Leaning her forehead against the cool wood, she shook her head. What was happening here? Twice in two days she had woken up in Damon's arms. Granted she blamed the nightmares but was it more than that? What if it was? And that dream that she'd had? R rated. So not a dream she should be having the day after a breakup and definitely not about Damon!

She wasn't naïve, she sees the way he looks at her, the way he smiles when she walks into a room, the eyebrow thing he does when he flirts with her but when did she start to become okay with it? Elena used to ignore him, with the hope that he would stop. That was definitely a lost cause, but now it was almost like she encouraged him. She needed time. She needed to deal with the loss of Stefan, to grieve over his abandonment, but hadn't she been doing that all along?

Shedding her robe and pajamas she climbed into the shower, letting the warmth of the spray soothe her. She wasn't sure how long she stayed in the shower but when she finally wrapped a towel around herself her fingers and toes were beyond pruney. She was combing out the tangles in her hair when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. Rewrapping her robe around her, she crossed the room and yanked the door open.

"What, Damon?" She snapped. But it wasn't Damon who stood on the other side of her bedroom door.

"We need to talk. May I come in?"?


	6. Chapter 6

**No reviews for the last few chapters? :'( So I'm not sure if you guys like where this appears to be going or not! But you're still around and I'm still accruing followers so I must be doing something right...right? :) **

Damon knocked politely on the door. Hands innocently behind his back, he rocked back and forth on his heels. When the door opened, he smiled his most polite, charming smile. "Good morning, Sabrina." He said cheerfully. She eyed him carefully.

"Why are you here?" She asked, leaning against the door jamb.

"May I come in?"

She snorted. "Not likely." He tilted his head, stuck out his bottom lip.

"Now, Bonnie. That's not very friendly."

"Don't care." She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Damon?" He stepped back to lean against the railing.

"I'm worried about Elena." He admitted. Her entire face changed from annoyance to concern that fast. Bonnie looked behind her presumably to see if her dad was anywhere near then stepped out onto the porch and closed the front door behind her.

"Why? What happened in Chicago?"

"I think Klaus is up to something. He was on edge in Chicago, like things weren't going his way. And Stefan was way too pushy to get us out of Chicago and fast. He didn't want us around Klaus for a reason."

"Well, I've already got a protection spell on her. It's pretty heavy duty stuff."

"He was hanging around a pretty powerful witch and I'm not entirely convinced that's a coincidence."

"How powerful?" Bonnie asked, crossing her arms.

"Well," Damon flashed her a smile and said "she's no Bennett witch." A small, cocky smile briefly flitted across her face.

"What did you have in mind?"

* * *

Elena's jaw dropped somewhere near the floor. Fear encased her heart. If he was here, that meant…. She clutched her robe tighter to her and forced herself to speak. "What are you doing here, Elijah?"

"If you'd like a moment to dress I'd be more than happy to wait downstairs. I hadn't realized you might still be indecent." He spoke so elegantly, it was hard for Elena to remember that he had betrayed them a few months ago. Elena forced a nod. He dipped his chin. "I shall await you in the foyer. Don't dawdle, please. I haven't much time."

Elena quickly shut the door and fought down the panic. He wouldn't hurt her. If he had wanted her dead, she'd be dead already. And he had been given plenty of opportunities in the past. She picked up her phone, about to dial Damon when she decided against it. She dropped her phone back on the bed. Damon would come in here, guns blazing and get himself killed. She could handle this, she could handle Elijah. They'd talk like civilized people and once Elena knew what he wanted she could decide on a course of action. She quickly pulled on a pair of jeans and a tee. Throwing her hair up in a ponytail she slipped her phone into her back pocket made sure her locket was in place and began making her way down stairs.

Based on the sounds or lack thereof in the house she surmised that no one else was home. Sighing, Elena turned at the bottom of the stairs to see him sitting on the edge of the sofa. He looked entirely comfortable with being in her house. His left arm was slung over the back of the couch and he was flipping through a teen magazine shaking his head. Elena stood there for a moment. He lifted his head, and glanced briefly in her direction.

"I mean you no harm, Elena. Please," he indicated the seat next to himself. "Sit." Elena slowly made her way over to the couch and sat. She didn't want to upset him, the more cooperative she was the better.

"What are you doing here, Elijah?"

"I'm here to help." He said. "Klaus is beyond salvation." Elijah told her as he set the magazine back on the coffee table. "I made a grave error in judgment when I chose to believe he would reunite me with my family. Shortly after we escaped he daggered me." Elena's eyes grew wide. Elijah sighed and continued on. "I was fortunate enough to be undaggered a few days ago. By whom I'm not sure. However, I hung around long enough to overhear some things I'm sure you would be interested in."

Elena's mind was reeling. Klaus had double crossed his brother? After Elijah had saved him? And who had undaggered Elijah? Elijah cleared his throat effectively clearing Elena's brainstorming. She shook her head. "What?" She asked, "What did you overhear?"

"Klaus' hybrids are failing. I assume that has something to do with your survival of the sacrifice. He's consorting with a witch, a very powerful witch to ascertain why this is happening. I fear he will soon know the reason and once he learns this…."

"He'll find me and kill me." Elena whispered.

"That is what I would presume, yes." Elijah told her. "I imagine Stefan will not remain on his list of favorite people either." Elena frowned. Stefan had dismissed her from his life and while she didn't want him to die, he wasn't her main concern anymore.

"What should I do?" Elena asked.

"There is one thing. A Hail Mary I suppose you could call it. There is a hunter, a vampire hunter that wishes Klaus dead and is the only one capable of completing the job. Find him and you shall have a chance." Elijah stood. "I must go. I came to redeem myself and I hope that by informing you of Klaus' plans you shall be able to forgive me." He held out his hand and Elena took it. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "Take care, Elena. I wish you well." He turned to walk out the door.

"Elijah." He spun to face her. "The hunter? Do you know his name?"

"Mikael." Elijah whispered and then he disappeared.

* * *

The knock on the door drew Elena from her stupor. Elijah had left over an hour ago and Elena still sat on the sofa processing everything. Yelling out 'come in' in this town could be deadly, so Elena stood and made her way to the door. Caroline was on the other side of the door. Elena opened it and Caroline gave her a sympathetic smile. "Damon called me." She said. "I brought a boyfriends suck break up kit." She held up a grocery bag. "Ben & Jerry's, popcorn," and held up her other hand, "Love Actually and Casablanca." Elena smiled at her and pulled her into a hug. Caroline hugged her back. "Bonnie will be here in a little bit. She and Damon were doing something."

Elena pursed her lips and frowned. "Bonnie and Damon?" Shaking her head Elena took the bag of food from Caroline and walked towards the kitchen. "Are you sure they're not killing each other?" Elena pulled open the silverware drawer and grabbed two spoons. Handing one to Caroline she hopped up onto the counter and dug in. Caroline slid onto one of the barstools at the breakfast bar.

"They sounded pretty okay to me. Damon was rushing her off the phone, but that's Damon for you." Caroline scooped out her Chunky Monkey and pointed her spoon at Elena. "So? Spill. I got an abbreviated version from Damon. What happened?"

Elena sighed and debated on telling Caroline about her run in with Elijah. Should she wait and tell Damon or bring Caroline in now? Resolving to tell Caroline later, she twirled her spoon in her Half Baked ice cream and filled her in on the breakup.

"Stefan flat out told me to leave. Told me he didn't want to be with me, didn't want to come home with me, he just wanted me to go." Caroline's jaw dropped. "Yeah." Elena muttered, stuffing her face with brownie and cookie dough vanilla and chocolate ice cream goodness. "It was pretty brutal."

"Wow. Stefan?" Elena nodded. "I'm sorry, Elena. Boys suck."

"Yup." Taking another bite, Elena shook her head. "I wasted all that effort, all summer trying to find him, pestering the mess out of Damon, sending him out on stupid 'needle in a haystack' possible locations. And all this time he wasn't trying to get away. He wants to be with Klaus. How messed up is that?"

"It's not messed up. You tried, Elena. No one can fault you for that. And if they do? I happen to be in possession of some pretty kick ass super powers. I will definitely kick their ass." She beamed at Elena.

"Thanks, Caroline." Elena slid off the counter and snagged the movies. "Let's go wallow." Caroline followed her into the living room and plopped down on the sofa as Elena inserted the disc into the DVD player.

"You know, pardon me for saying this but you're not as upset as I expected you to be." Caroline told her frankly. Elena turned to look at her and nodded.

"I'm not as upset as I expected to be either, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that he's been gone for over three months. I think I knew going into Chicago that he wouldn't be coming back with us. And I think that helped prepare me." She pointed the remote at Caroline. "That's not to say I'm not upset though. I loved Stefan, well I still love him, and I think a part of me will always love him but we're over. And I accept that." She blew out a breath. "It just sucks." Elena's phone lit up with a text and she glanced down briefly at it. "Bonnie's on her way."

"Good. So we have a few minutes." Caroline snatched the remote from Elena and hit pause. "So what happened with Damon?"

"What?" Elena asked, not prepared to deal with that question. "What do you mean?" Caroline rolled her eyes.

"You and Damon. Jeremy told Bonnie who told me that you two had an interesting conversation last night. So what happened?"

"He just….I've been having nightmares." Caroline's interrogation face quickly faded to her concerned face. "He's been helping. I had one last night when he wasn't here and I called him." Elena turned to face the TV. "No big deal."

"Elena…." Caroline pestered. "That's not the whole truth."

"Jesus, Caroline. What are you psychic now?" Elena sighed. "He's grown on me, okay? He snuck up on me and has quickly become someone I rely on. He tells me like it is, and I don't know when but sometime over the summer he wormed his way in. And I don't mind. I trust him."

"And you're attracted to him." Caroline finished for her.

"Ugh! You don't give up, do you?" Elena ran a hand through her hair, tugging on the ends.

"Just admit it Elena! You're attracted to him!"

"What if I am, huh? What if I am attracted to my ex boyfriend's brother? What does that say about me?" Finally receiving the answer she was looking for Caroline took a deep breath and sighed.

"It says you're human." Caroline reached out and pulled Elena into a hug. "It doesn't make you a bad person…or Katherine. I know that's what you're thinking." Elena held onto Caroline for a while.

"I hate you." She mock whispered.

Caroline grinned. "No you don't. You just hate that I'm making you deal with this crap. But that's exactly what you need to do is deal." She pointed a finger at her. "This doesn't mean that I'm team Damon, though, just that I'm not totally anti-Damon anymore. Bonnie? Her, you might have to work on."

Elena shook her head and reached for the remote. "Team Damon? Stefan and I broke up yesterday. I'm not looking for anything, anytime soon." She pressed play.

"Doesn't mean it won't come looking for you." Caroline muttered. Elena glared at her and scooped another bite of ice cream.

"Just watch the movie." Hugh Grant began a voiceover while people hugged in the airport. Elena loved this movie, but she couldn't focus on it. Not only had Caroline gotten her worked up over the discussion of her feelings for Damon but her earlier conversation with Elijah still lingered. She desperately needed to tell Damon about the information Elijah had left her with. Caroline snuggled into the corner of the couch but Elena sat stiff as a rod, still rife with tension. When Bonnie showed up, they popped popcorn and continued with the movie.

After Love Actually, Caroline was passed out on the couch when Jeremy walked in. He kissed Elena's cheek and gave Bonnie a quick kiss then hurried up the stairs desperate to avoid all the estrogen in the living room. Bonnie and Elena decided to watch Casablanca without Caroline.

"You're awfully quiet." Elena whispered to Bonnie. Bonnie nodded towards Caroline.

"I don't want to wake her." Bonnie whispered back. Elena gave Bonnie a 'yeah right' look. "Fine. I'm worried about you." Elena's heart sped up.

"Why? I'm fine." Elena protested, lying through her teeth.

"You're not fine. You're post breakup and something weird is going on with Klaus and Stefan." Elena's head shot up.

"What do you know about Klaus and Stefan?" Elena asked.

"Just what Damon told me, which…"

"Which you were not supposed to worry her with." Boomed Damon startling Caroline awake and earning a death glare from Elena. He appeared in the doorway.

Elena stood and faced him. "What are you keeping from me, Damon?"

"I'm not keeping anything from you. I was concerned that Klaus was up to something. I'm not entirely sure it will amass to anything….yet. I'm looking into it." Damon shrugged, while eyeing Bonnie. Elena turned off the TV and crossed her arms.

"Well, while we're sharing…." All eyes turned to her. "I had a visitor today." Damon moved quickly to stand in front of her.

"Who?" He asked, not looking at all pleased to be hearing this.

"Elijah." Jaws dropped all around the room. Chaos erupted.

Comments like "Holy hell, Elena!" and "You didn't call me? What the hell were you thinking?" and "What is the matter with you? Do you have a death wish? You need a permanent bodyguard!" began to fly around the room. Elena held up her hands.

"If he wanted to kill me, he's had plenty of opportunities." Elena protested.

"And you gave him another one!" Damon yelled.

Elena pointed at him. "Shut up and let me speak! When you calm down I can tell you what I learned." Damon knotted his hands behind his head and counted to ten. Elena spoke quickly. "Long story short: Klaus daggered Elijah shortly after the sacrifice. Someone undaggered him. Klaus is using a powerful witch to find out why his hybrids are failing. Elijah suspects it's me; that I was supposed to die in the ritual. Once Klaus figures that out, he'll come for me." Damon was nodding and Elena glared at him.

"I suspected as much. Bonnie and I are working on it."

"What?" Elena shrieked. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you're need to know, Elena!" Damon yelled. "And you didn't need to know!"

"My life is in danger, Damon."

Damon rolled his eyes. "I'm always at risk, Damon." He mocked Elena's earlier words. "Isn't that what you said to me a couple of days ago? You're life is in constant peril, Elena. Why is this news to you, sweetheart?" Elena shortened the distance between them to nothing. She got in his face, and hissed.

"I thought you weren't keeping things from me anymore."

"I had a hunch, Elena. Nothing solid. But now that I do? You're life's in danger, Elena. Bonnie and I are working on it." He repeated, mocking her.

"Well, Elijah left me with a parting gift." Elena told him, still exuding hostility aimed at Damon.

"Oh, yeah? What else did the little turncoat have to say?" Damon asked.

"He gave me a name. Mikael. He's a vampire hunter, said he was the only one who could kill Klaus."

"Oh. Well, that's perfect." Damon said sarcasm dripping from every word. "He didn't by chance happen to mention how we would find this vampire hunter, did he? Or would that be too helpful?" Elena shook her head, feeling suddenly defeated. Her life had just gone from bad to worse. She dropped onto the couch, all of the fight just fleeing her body. Bonnie ran a hand over Elena's arm.

"We'll find him." Elena looked over at her, and forced a smile. "Plus I have a bad ass protection spell on you. We'll figure something out. Promise."

"Thanks, Bonnie." Elena whispered. Bonnie nodded.

Caroline had sat on the couch the whole time, just absorbing the conversation and its juicy tidbits. She finally spoke up. "I think we might know someone who could help." All eyes turned to her.

"Oh yeah, Blondie?" Damon crossed his arms. "Who might that be?"

"Katherine." Caroline offered her answer. Elena frowned. Damon snarled, and then took a deep breath.

"Crazy as you might be, Blondie that may be our best bet." Elena spun to Damon.

"What? Since when is involving that….that…" Elena couldn't come up with a word for her.

"Since she's known and been running from Klaus longer than any of us. She might have information." Damon suggested. "And since she's the one that let me know Stefan and Klaus were in Chicago." Elena's eyes doubled in size.

"What?!" She shrieked. "Why didn't I know this?"

"Need to know, Elena. Need to know." Damon muttered. Elena could have easily strangled him. She shook her head, ran her hands through her hair and stormed upstairs. She was so angry she could spit. She slammed her door and marched over to her window seat. Slumping down, she wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knee. She blew out a long breath, trying to calm herself down. It was like two steps forward and eight steps back with Damon. Just when she thought they were starting to make leeway he'd mess it all up! But that was Damon in a nutshell. Anytime things started to move along smoothly he would find some way to make it a bumpy ride, good intentions or not. And they usually were not.

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, but sometime later a timid knock came from the direction of her door. Turning her head to see the door but otherwise staying in the same position she called out "Come in."

Jeremy slipped in the door and shut it quickly behind him. "Hey." He whispered.

"Hi." She whispered back.

"How are you doing?" He asked, coming over to sit down opposite her. She turned again to look out the window.

"Oh, you know. Same as always. Wondering about my imminent death." Jeremy didn't smile.

"I may be able to help." He told her.

"Oh Jer, I'd really rather you weren't involved at all." Elena said on a sigh. "I appreciate the offer though."

"Elena. I can help. I overheard Damon telling Bonnie and Caroline that Katherine knew only a little about Mikael. But what she did know she learned from Pearl." Elena looked at Jeremy with a half smile.

"Well, Pearl's dead." Elena laughed with no humor at all.

"Yes, but she told one other person." Jeremy whispered. "Anna."

"Also dead." Elena stared at Jeremy. "So there goes that idea."

"Not exactly." Elena shook her head and Jeremy swallowed deeply. "I, uh, I can help."

"What do you mean, Jer?" Elena lifted her head and unfolded her legs. She leaned forward. "How can you help?" Jeremy looked at the door, almost as if he was afraid someone might hear them. "Jer, I'm your sister. You can tell me." Elena laid a hand over his, squeezed it.

"You know when Bonnie brought me back from the dead?" Jeremy began. Elena nodded. "Ever since then? I've been seeing ghosts."

Elena frowned. "Jeremy! Why didn't you tell us before? We can try to help you. You've kept this a secret for months!" She whispered.

"I know, but Elena….one of the two ghosts I see? It's Anna. I see Anna. And she wants to help."

"What?" Elena said, not believing what she was hearing.

Jeremy summed it up. "Anna knows where to find Mikael."


	7. Chapter 7

** Couple quick things: A BIG thanks to kat st james for leaving me some amazing reviews! It was exactly what I needed to hear….though I'll be happy to hear criticism too, but it's nice to know I'm doing something right! **** I like knowing what you guys think! Also, I'm contemplating changing the rating to M for later chapters but I need to read up on the T & M guidelines…and I will definitely forewarn you before anything happens that might warrant an M rating! Thanks for reading and leave me some love! **

"You've been seeing ghosts?" Damon asked. Jeremy nodded. "How convenient." Elena stood on the other side of the room. "So this helps us how?"

"Anna. Anna knows how to find Mikael." Jeremy told him.

"Perfect. Let's go." Damon strode to the door. Jeremy placed his hand on Damon's shoulder. Damon looked at Jeremy's hand as if it was a piece of lint he would love to violently knock off. Damon frowned. "Careful, little Gilbert."

"Wait." Jeremy said. "Anna says that Mikael is the ultimate bad ass. He's a vampire who hunts vampires. He'll kill anyone who gets in his way."

Damon brushed Jeremy's hand off of his shoulder. "Well then I guess I'll have to stay out of his way. Come along, Jeremy. Road trip time." Caroline stood. "Witchy, you stay with Elena. Call if anything out of the ordinary happens." Bonnie looked like she was going to throw up, though Elena thought it might have something to do with the fact that her boyfriend was seeing his dead girlfriend. "Blondie? Don't let anything out of the ordinary happen." Damon glared at Elena and with a stiff nod in her direction walked out the door. Well, he was still pissed. Good. So was she.

With one last forlorn look at Bonnie, Jeremy followed Damon out the door. "Well, now what?" Elena asked, spreading her hands out. "We just sit here and twiddle our thumbs? And where the hell is Alaric?"

She sent him a quick text and asked him to please come home. Caroline began to pace. Bonnie sat on the couch with her head in her hands. Elena moved to sit next to her. She wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It's okay." Bonnie whispered back. "It's not your fault. I knew there'd be consequences; I just didn't know he'd see his dead girlfriend." Elena nodded and hugged her close.

The front door opened and Elena gasped. All three girls turned to watch Alaric waltz in. Elena stood. "It's about damn time. Where have you been?" Alaric looked over his shoulder to see if there was someone behind him but no, Elena was speaking to him. He shut the door.

"Uh….I'm sorry." He told her. "I had a, uh, date." He said sheepishly running his hand through his hair. "Jeremy knew. I didn't want to bother you with it. Based on the trillion voicemails and missed calls from Damon and your text I missed a lot." He walked over to the couch, dropped into it. "So? Fill me in."

* * *

"What's going on with you and my sister?" Jeremy asked Damon once they were out of Mystic Falls and well on their way to Charlotte. Damon glanced briefly over at Jeremy and frowned.

"Nothing."

"Pfft." Jeremy responded. "That's bullshit."

"Watch your mouth." Damon hissed.

"Oh, whatever Damon." Jeremy griped, crossing his arms. "You're obviously interested in Elena. And lately she's been…." Jeremy had Damon's attention now.

"She's been what?" Damon asked, obviously fishing.

"Different." Jeremy supplied.

"Different." Damon repeated. Jeremy nodded.

"Don't take advantage of her."

In a rare, fleeting moment of pure honesty, Damon admitted softly. "I would never hurt her. Not intentionally."

"Yeah, well you know what they say about intentions." Jeremy muttered. He looked out the window.

Anna piped up from the back seat. "Believe it or not, underneath that bad ass exterior he exudes, he really is a good guy." Jeremy looked over his shoulder to frown at her. She shrugged. Damon looked over at Jeremy, but said nothing. They drove in silence for quite a while.

"How do you know Goth girl is sending us to the right place?" Damon asked suddenly as they neared Charlotte. Jeremy rolled his eyes and lifted his head off of the window.

"Because she's helping me. And Elena. She wouldn't send us to the wrong place." Jeremy said, glancing at his watch. It was late. Damon finally found the place Jeremy and Anna had guided them to. They passed a sign that read Elmwood Cemetery. "This is it." Jeremy told Damon and indicated a spot to park. "The oldest wing of the largest cemetery in Charlotte, that's what she said." Jeremy told him. Damon grabbed a flashlight out of his trunk, tossed one to Jeremy.

"Here goes nothing." Damon muttered.

* * *

The night passed relatively uneventful. Elena and Caroline slumbered it. And Elena survived with no nightmares. Maybe she didn't need Damon to help her with them after all. It was Monday of Homecoming week so Caroline made Elena wear pajamas to school. Elena had flat out refused to wear the ones with bunnies on them, so they compromised with stars. Classes were dreadfully boring, especially with everything Elena had going on. She still hadn't heard from Damon and Jeremy but wasn't entirely surprised. Damon was angry with her. And he could be petty.

"Morning, Elena." Matt said, coming up behind Elena at her locker.

"Hey, Matt." Elena replied, slamming her locker after grabbing her gym bag. She looked down at Matt's pajamas. "Angry birds, really?" She laughed. He just smiled.

"Where's Jer today?" It was easy for Elena to forget how close Matt and Jeremy had become over the summer. She liked it though that Jeremy had a good influential guy like Matt around. Not that Alaric wasn't a good influence, but Matt was a normal, teenage guy. And human. Just ordinarily human and Jeremy needed that. They all needed that.

"Oh, it's a long story." Elena told him. Matt turned to walk to gym with her, offered her his arm. Elena smiled up at him and hooked her arm through his. "He and Damon are searching for a vampire hunter named Mikael. We're hoping he can kill Klaus."

"Doesn't seem like that long of a story." Matt said with a grin.

"Turns out Jer sees ghosts. And Klaus is going to be coming for me soon once he figures out I'm the reason his hybrids aren't working."

"Oh." Matt stopped Elena. "What can I do to help?"

Elena shook her head. "Matt, you know I don't want you caught up in all of this. I don't want anything happening to you."

Matt rolled his eyes at her. "And I don't want anything happening to you." Elena smiled softly at him, and gave him a quick hug.

"I promise I'll let you know if there's something you can do." Matt frowned at her, but nodded.

"I guess I can live with that." Their gym teacher crossed the gym lobby, stopped and stared at them.

"Donovan! Gilbert! You two gonna participate today or ya gonna stand there and yak all period?" Matt looked up, startled.

"Sorry, coach." He turned to grin at Elena. Elena grinned back and they both went off in separate directions to the locker rooms to dress out for gym.

* * *

Alaric intercepted her after lunch. "Have you heard anything from Damon?" She asked. Alaric nodded and pulled her into his empty classroom. Elena slid into one of the desks while Alaric shut the door so it was just cracked. "What's the word? Did they find him?"

"They found him." Alaric said, though he didn't sound very excited.

"And?" Elena urged, irritated that she was having to drag information out of him.

"And Mikael is, well he's desiccated. Like the tomb vampires were."

Elena shook her head. "So what does that mean for us? How do we un-desiccate him?"

"Damon's trying to figure that out." Alaric told her, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.

Sighing, Elena stood and began to pace. "He says he's tried animals, and human blood. Nothing's enticing him to drink." Elena stopped pacing, her head shot up and she glared at Ric.

"He didn't? Did he? I'll kill him." Elena hissed.

"No. He didn't hurt Jeremy." Ric reassured her. "He tried bagged and then when that didn't work he compelled a grounds man for the cemetery to donate some blood." Ric took his seat behind his desk as Elena resumed her pacing. "He's running out of ideas. Apparently Mikael will open his eyes but won't look at either of them and he can't speak. It's very creepy." Alaric sighed and Elena stood in front of Ric's desk, arms crossed.

"What kind of vampire won't drink animal, bagged or human blood?" Elena wondered out loud. Alaric shrugged. "So what now?"

"Damon's waiting for reinforcements. He'll be headed back this way shortly, with Jeremy." Alaric added when Elena glared at him. "He wants to be here if Klaus makes his move."

Elena frowned. "Reinforcements? Who could he possibly trust to revive Mikael and endear him to our cause?" It was like a light bulb clicked on, Alaric could see it in her eyes and Elena sneered

immediately. "No! Katherine?" Elena shrieked. "He trusts her? What is he thinking? He's not obviously. Maybe bagged blood has fried his brain." Elena resumed her pacing.

"He believes that Katherine will do this because she wants Klaus dead as much as the rest of us. Just because Klaus let her go once doesn't mean he won't entrap her again. Katherine has motive enough." Alaric told her. Elena grumbled and grabbed her stuff.

"I'll see you at home." She muttered and stalked out the door.

* * *

Caroline was part of the dance committee and since the dance was Saturday she had a meeting after school. Bonnie and Elena went to the Grille to grab a bite to eat to go. As they were waiting to pick up their order Elena's phone buzzed in her purse. Jeremy! Elena answered it on the second ring.

"Jer!" Elena cried. "Are you okay? What's going on?"

"We're fine, Elena. Calm down." He told her a laugh in his voice. "Katherine just got here so Damon and I will be leaving soon, heading back." Elena sighed in relief. She smiled at Bonnie to indicate everything was alright. Bonnie nodded and gave Elena a small smile.

"Did you get Mikael to drink or talk?"

"Nope. Can't figure it out. Katherine's working on it." Jeremy told her. "Damon says he wants to give it one last shot, though." Elena rolled her eyes, but that was Damon. Always trying to find new solutions. Matt called Elena's name at the register, he was holding a plastic bag with her dinner. She held up a finger to tell him just a minute when Jeremy screamed, "No! Damon!" Elena heard steps pounding on the pavement, muffled sounds, and was that growling?

"What? Jeremy! Jeremy? What happened?" Elena yelled, forgetting she was in the middle of a restaurant. "Jeremy!" She screamed and then stared at her phone in complete and utter horror. She had lost the connection. And she had no idea what the hell had just happened! Bonnie and Matt and just about everybody else in the Mystic Grille was staring at her.

Bonnie's eyes were wide, and Elena was sure hers were too. "What, Elena? What happened?"

"I don't know Bonnie! I don't know!" Tears filled her eyes and she felt them spill over her cheeks. "I don't know." She sobbed. Elena hit the direct dial for Jeremy and held it up to her ear, biting her knuckle to keep from crying out. Voicemail. It went straight to Jeremy's voicemail.


	8. Chapter 8

**So, from here on out, 'Michael' will be 'Mikael' because apparently the Originals cannot spell names like normal people. I'll eventually backtrack and fix the other chapters but for now….on with the show! **

Caroline was starting to get worried. Elena wouldn't say anything to anybody. She was just sitting in the middle of her bed, arms wrapped around her legs, chin resting on her knees and staring off into oblivion. When Bonnie had called and told her that something had happened, Caroline had left her meeting abruptly barking orders over her shoulder as she rushed out the door. Bonnie had managed to get Elena home with Matt's help but this was where Caroline had found Elena, and that was four hours ago.

"Elena, you should eat." Caroline murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Elena didn't respond. "Please?"

"Have you tried Jeremy again?" Matt asked from his perch on the window seat.

"Just a minute ago." Caroline replied rubbing a hand over Elena's back. "His battery probably died, Elena. And being in Damon's car, they probably don't have a charger for Jeremy." But that didn't explain why Damon wasn't picking up his phone. No one in the room had an answer for that. And no one had a number for Katherine, either. So they were currently sitting ducks. Alaric poked his head in the door.

"No change?" He asked, glancing quickly at Elena, pity and concern etched clearly all over his face. Caroline shook her head, and continued to rub Elena's back. "If we haven't heard anything in another hour, I'm heading down there." He told Caroline. Caroline nodded. They couldn't exactly call the police and have them check on them, the possibilities of things that could go wrong with that scenario were endless. Especially with two vampires, a vampire hunter and a human. It would be too much exposure. They didn't want Ric to go, he was a vital player in the defensive game should Klaus decide to come pay a visit, but they didn't really have a choice. It was Jeremy. And Damon.

Her mom had placed a call looking out for a person of Jeremy's description with the Charlotte police department in case he ended up in the hospital or the morgue. He had his ring on though, so as long as his death was related to something supernatural it would bring him back. They were all hoping this wouldn't be the case. Sometime around midnight, Alaric packed his trunk and came in to say his goodbyes. Promising to call and check in regularly, he slipped out the door.

* * *

They stood around the witch, waiting. Candles were lit everywhere, the smell of incense almost nauseating. Stefan stood in the corner, arms crossed. Klaus was pacing. "Why is this taking so long?" He growled.

Gloria huffed. "It's hard to find something when you don't have anything to go on." She opened her eyes and glared at Klaus. "In order to find the loophole to the curse, to figure out why it's not working I need to contact the original witch." Klaus rolled his eyes and swept his arm across the table knocking glasses over, scattering stuff everywhere. "Destroying my bar isn't going to solve your problem, Klaus."

"No. But it does help me relieve tension." He hissed. "Be glad I'm not channeling that energy in your direction, my dear." Stefan stepped up to Klaus, laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her work." He said softly. Klaus glared, but backed off. He stalked over to a bar stool and poured himself a drink. "What do you need, Gloria?" Stefan asked.

"A talisman." Gloria said, looking around Stefan at Klaus. "I need a talisman that belonged to the original witch."

"Fresh out of those." Klaus snapped. "Any other ideas?"

"Yes." Gloria said. "Rebekah."

"Not possible, love." Klaus downed his drink. "Rebekah is a bit, uh preoccupied." Klaus said with a smirk.

"Well, she has what I need." Gloria told him. "Bring her to me." Stefan spun to face Klaus.

"Who the hell is Rebekah?" He asked.

Klaus sighed deeply and rolled his eyes again. "Come along, Stefan. There's someone I'd like you to meet."

* * *

Jeremy pulled into the driveway, completely and utterly exhausted. He pulled down the visor and looked at the bite marks on his neck. Elena would flip when she saw them. Glancing at his watch, he was surprised that considering the time that lights were still on in the house. But knowing Elena, she was probably freaking out. He sighed and got out of the car, shutting the door softly. He turned to walk up the driveway and something charged him.

"Oomph!" He groaned as all the air was knocked from his lungs. Arms circled his neck and held on tight. A little dazed, Jeremy looked up to see the front door wide open with Caroline, Matt and Bonnie spilled out onto the porch. Elena was sobbing into his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back. "Elena." He murmured softly. "I'm okay." She said nothing, just cried and cried. "I'm sorry. I dropped my phone and I couldn't get it to come back on." He whispered in her ear. "And Damon was unconscious for the majority of the ride, he couldn't find his phone." Elena pulled back to look at Jeremy's face. She let go of him only to grab onto the edges of his jacket.

"Don't you ever do that to me again!" She hissed, and Jeremy couldn't do anything but nod. Elena pulled him to her again and hugged him, rocking back and forth and back and forth. Suddenly, it was like a light bulb clicked on. "Damon! Where's Damon?"

"He made me drop him off at his house, said he'd be by in the morning to get his car." Jeremy told her. "C'mon, Elena, it's cold. Let's go inside. I'll tell you everything." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and walked her inside, pausing to give everyone a hug. Bonnie was the last.

"I was so scared." Bonnie whispered in his ear.

"I'm sorry, Bon." He told her. "Can we talk later?" She nodded against his chest and let him go. They all made their way inside, Caroline calling Alaric to tell him to head back, that Damon and Jeremy were safely home. Jeremy sat on the couch, with Elena right next to him holding his hand. Matt made a fresh pot of coffee and Jeremy began to talk.

"Mikael wouldn't talk or look at us. Super creepy. And Damon tried bagged blood to entice him and rabbit blood and even got a groundskeeper, but Mikael didn't respond to any of it. So after Katherine got there, Damon decided to try one thing before we left. He took the bagged blood and forced Mikael's mouth open, dropping a few drops in there. It took a few minutes, but Mikael began to respond. He thrashed under his chains; he was covered in chains and began to move. They had a conversation about killing Klaus and Mikael told them both that he couldn't kill Klaus underneath all those chains. Damon removed them, and then Klaus grabbed Damon and almost drained him dry. I dropped my phone then and Katherine was able to pull Damon away." Jeremy paused to look at Elena. Her face had gone pale, Jeremy rubbed her back. "He's fine." He assured Elena, "I let him feed from me and then gave him bagged blood once he resumed consciousness on the ride home. Katherine stayed with Mikael after we left. Apparently, he doesn't feed on the living and Damon's pestering really pissed him off." Jeremy finished. Elena began to inspect Jeremy's neck. He laughed softly. "I'm fine, Elena. He didn't take that much. He's still pretty weak, though. Probably why he didn't want to be around everybody." Elena pulled him into a hug again and Jeremy made eye contact with Bonnie who was sitting across the room. She smiled softly at him. Finally, she let him go.

"I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered. She stood. "I'm going to go check on Damon."

"I'm sure he's fine, Elena." Bonnie said to her. "We can have Ric swing by there on his way back."

"I'm sure he's fine too, but I" Elena rubbed the palm of her hand over her heart, "I need to see for myself. I won't be gone long." And before anyone else could say or do anything, she snatched Damon's keys off the coffee table and ran out the door.

* * *

Elena made it to the Salvatore house in record time. Palming the keys, Elena rushed into the house. She didn't bother knocking, who knocked anymore? Damon was just coming down the last few stairs walking stiffly, slowly buttoning up his shirt. "What are you doing…" Elena rushed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Here?" He finished. She stiffened in his arms, not sure who was more surprised him or her.

"I was worried." He hugged her back, held her longer than she probably wanted to be held, but she stayed. "Are you okay?" She whispered into his chest.

"I've been better." He told her, afraid to move for fear she'd pull away but she did anyway. She pulled away quickly, and then shoved him in the chest with the palm of her hand. He didn't even flinch.

"What the hell were you thinking? You could've been killed!" She yelled at him.

He raised an eyebrow and did his best to hide his smile. "Have you met me? I like to live dangerously." She moved to hit him again. He caught her hand. "First one's free, Gilbert." His smile faded.

"I was so scared." She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. Damon's eyes softened. "Jeremy yelled your name and then...we got disconnected. I thought..." she gulped. "I thought maybe..." a small sob escaped her lips and she covered her mouth.

"Hey," he whispered reaching for her hand and pulling her in close. "Jeremy's fine. It's alright." He ran a hand over her hair, trying to soothe her. Tears streamed down her face.

"I wasn't just worried about Jeremy." She told him in a small voice. Something flickered in his eyes, it was gone quickly but Elena saw it.

"I'm okay." He said, brushing away tears with his thumb. He swallowed thickly. "You know I wouldn't leave you without saying good bye." He said with a small smile. She nodded and took a deep sigh.

"Don't ever do that again." She said, trying to sound mean. It didn't work. Damon just grinned and winked.

"I'll try my best." He lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers. Elena's heart fluttered. She drew in a quick breath.

"Damon, did you...oh! Hey, Elena." Andie appeared at the top of the stairs. She was completely dressed, but Elena couldn't help but notice the two puncture wounds on her neck. Elena drew back immediately. Something like jealousy pooled uneasily in her stomach. Damon reached for her slowly, trying not to spook her. Elena held up her hands. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Hey, Andie. Sorry, I should have realized." She quickly began to back away. "My mistake. I'll see you later." She said directly to Damon but avoided eye contact. Disappointment and unease was written all over his face.

"Elena, wait!" Damon called. But she was already gone.

**AN: *sigh* So close! **** Don't hate me…or Damon for that matter. Also…. I really didn't want to bring Rebekah into this mess….and I'll probably hate myself for it later, but I couldn't think of a way to get around it! Leave me some love! Or hate….but not 'mean' hate. **


	9. Chapter 9

**So I guess I was excited to write this chapter because it just flew out...or maybe it's because I'm excited to write the next one! ;-) However...it's probably going to be a while until I update again (at least a few days)...my husband is feeling neglected. :( Probably because I'm always on here or writing the next chapter... so enjoy and I'll see you again soon! And feel free to leave me some love! Thanks for reading! **

Klaus stalked into the warehouse like a man on a mission. Stefan followed meekly behind, partly curious, partly duty bound to see where his so called 'friend' was taking him. Stefan had seen the picture behind the bar at Gloria's. The one where he and Klaus looked like best friends. He had chosen to keep his mouth shut. Life would pass easier that way.

Opening a padlocked door, Klaus beckoned for Stefan to follow him inside, as if that wasn't what he was already doing. "This way, mate."

Stefan stepped into the room and was intrigued by the contents. Five coffins were lined up in a row, all closed tight. Stefan frowned. What the hell was this? "What the hell?" Stefan asked. Klaus just grinned. Stepping over to the smallest coffin, Klaus pulled open the cover.

Inside was a husk of a body, what once might have been a pretty girl in a white silk dress was now just a dried out waste of space. In her heart was a dagger. Stefan's was utterly confused. What the hell was Klaus playing at? Was this Rebekah?

Klaus reached in and pulled out the dagger. "Time to wake up, little sister." Klaus taunted, dropping the dagger to the floor. He sauntered over to the next coffin, hopped up on it and sighed. "Have a seat, Stefan. This won't take long."

* * *

School sucked. Elena found it kind of pointless anymore. She was feeling pretty blah anyway, moody. It must be that time of the month. Glancing at the date on her phone, she groaned. Nope, not even close to then. Shit. Well, it couldn't possibly have anything to do with the fact that she had basically poured her heart out to Damon last night and then out walks his girlfriend like 'hey Elena!' Nope. It definitely didn't, because that alternative wasn't even an option. The break up? Yup, her break up with Stefan; that must be it. She started to nod off during drama, and Bonnie elbowed her in the ribs.

"Maybe you should go home." Bonnie whispered. Elena shook her head. Nope, didn't want to go home. People would try and talk to her there. At least here, she could pretend she was busy, studying or something. "No one would blame you. You had a rough night." Elena snorted, then turned to look at Bonnie, eyes wide. Bonnie grinned. "Did you just snort?"

Elena shook her head and then burst out laughing. This caused Bonnie to dissolve into giggles. People started to turn and look, Elena bit her lip. She turned to rest her head on Bonnie's shoulder. "We need more good times, more laughing." Elena told her. Bonnie nodded.

"Yeah, we do." Elena's phone buzzed.

_Call me when you have a minute. -D_

Ugh. Fat chance, Elena thought. It buzzed again immediately.

_Please. -D_

Oh, well. That changes everything. She tossed her head, like she was actually talking to him. Bonnie was staring at her and Elena realized how ridiculous she probably looked. She chose not to reply to his texts and looked back over at Bonnie.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked.

Elena squinted at her, "Are you channeling Caroline, right now? Why are you two constantly asking me if I want to talk?"

Bonnie shrugged. "Wow. Maybe because you're going through a break up? And we care about you? And a lot has happened over the past six months, hell year? And something weird is going on with you and Damon." Bonnie held up a hand, "Don't do me the disservice of lying to me, Elena. I'm not blind. And for the record, I may not be happy about it whatever it is, but you're my friend Elena and I want you to be happy. So, there I've said my piece. If you'd like to talk about it, you know where to find me." Bonnie grabbed her stuff and left.

Elena slumped lower in her chair. Well if she felt bad before, she felt like something on the bottom of her heel now. Why couldn't she just lean on her friends when she needed them most? Feeling sorry for herself wouldn't get her anywhere. She needed to take back control of her life. This was starting to get ridiculous. She was Elena Gilbert, Petrova doppelganger and woman, hear her roar. Okay, so she couldn't roar. She was still in drama. That would be bad. People would really talk then.

Resolved, she stood as the bell rang, gathered her things. She strode quickly across the building to Ric's classroom. "I want you to train me." Ric looked up from a book he was reading. Thankfully, his class was empty as it was currently his planning period. Elena moved to stand in front of his desk. "Starting tonight."

"What?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Train me. I want to start working out. And training. To fight." She looked over her shoulder then whispered. "Vampires." Ric scrunched his nose.

"Is this about Damon?" That was the wrong thing to say.

"Jesus. No, this is not about Damon. This is about taking back control. This is about me being able to handle myself. You can train me, I'll start running, and we can lift weights, box, whatever it takes. I want to join you on your workouts." Elena huffed.

"Oh-kay." He drew the word out. "Well, you know the best candidate to train you would be…"

Elena pointed her finger at him. "If you say Damon I'm kicking you out of the house."

Ric laughed, but stopped abruptly when Elena glared. "Alright. Tonight, we'll work out. My regular routine?" She nodded. "Okay. Meet me at my apartment after school. We'll run then use my equipment there."

"Thank you, Alaric." Elena said. She turned to walk out the door when the tardy bell rang. "Shit." She turned around, a sweet smile plastered on her face. "Mind writing me a pass?"

* * *

Elena was drenched in sweat and panting, hard. Laying flat on her back she stared up at the ceiling of Ric's apartment. "I have a newfound respect for you, Alaric." Elena gasped in between gulps of air. He chuckled, leaning against the wall near the punching bag Elena had just fought and lost. After a three mile run, which wasn't so bad, they lifted weights. Elena realized just how out of shape she truly was. Cheerleading and all of its glorified exercises and movements had nothing on a vampire hunter's workout. Then came the boxing, and the punching bag. She was whipped. She drained the remains of the water out of her bottle. Rolling to her side, she pushed herself up.

Elena's phone buzzed. Alaric looked over at her bag. "You gonna get that?" Elena shook her head. "You ignore him long enough he'll come looking for you."

She whipped around to face him. "It's not him." She said, grabbing another water bottle out of the fridge. It was all that was in there. Ric had only been here to train and pick up clothes, not wanting to come back after Klaus had violated the sanctity of his home. There were other reasons of course; feeling responsibility for his dead wife's orphaned daughter who was also his dead girlfriend's niece and her brother who was technically her cousin.

"Oh, it's not? Then who is it?"

Elena shrugged. "Could be Caroline."

"It's Damon." Ric said.

"Maybe not." She quipped. She picked up her bag. "Are we done for today?"

"You wouldn't be ignoring anyone else." He persisted.

"Right now, I'm ignoring everyone." She told him.

"Why?" He asked, pushing off of the wall.

"Because everyone wants to talk, and their favorite subject seems to be me and Damon." She sighed.

"Well to be fair, the game has changed Elena. And everyone, myself included wants to protect you. You've lost enough, you've hurt enough. And you can deny it all you want, I've noticed it, Jeremy's noticed it, hell the whole town has noticed that you act differently around Damon now." She opened her mouth to speak. "Wait." He held up a hand. "There's nothing wrong with that. You're a free agent now, Elena. And Damon's always been interested."

"He's got Andie." Elena said, almost bitterly, thinking back on last night.

"Andie is a placeholder, Elena. You know it, Damon knows it and even Andie knows it. If he got the slightest hint from you, she'd be out the door." Alaric retorted. "Just be careful there. He's, and if you repeat this I'll hurt you, been through a lot. If you're not fully vested in him, don't go there. It'll be bad for all parties involved if you're just messing with his head."

"I…." Elena felt sort of panicked. "I don't…" She couldn't form words. Alaric had thrown her for a loop. Was she that transparent that everyone saw it? She blew out a breath.

"It's alright. I'll see you at home." Alaric patted her back, and slipped out the door. "Take all the time you need."

* * *

Avoid the Grill at all costs. That was the first place he would look for her. Elena had taken several minutes to compose herself after Ric's speech. Yes, she had feelings for Damon. And yes, the seemed to be continuing to grow. But, how did she handle this? She still had feelings for Stefan; less than a week ago she was hoping to bring him home. You can't just shut that off, she thought to herself. Elena planned on stopping at the café on the outskirts of town to get a hot cocoa and a low fat blueberry muffin. Ear buds in, music playing she pondered these things as she walked.

When she stepped into the café she was immediately assaulted by the delicious smells of the baked goods. Pulling out her ear buds, she ordered quickly and took a spot in the back of the café at a little table. Rachel, a junior at the high school brought her cocoa in a cute little mug and her muffin warmed up on a plate. "Thank you," Elena murmured. Rachel smiled and Elena pulled out her AP Lit assignment and began working on it. She was so focused she didn't see the person walk up to her table.

They touched her shoulder. Elena jumped.

"Sorry, Elena!" Andie murmured. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. I thought you heard me." Elena placed her hand over her beating heart, trying to get it to slow.

"It's alright. I'm just uber jumpy lately." Elena told her. Andie indicated the seat across from her.

"Do you mind if I sit a minute? I'd like to talk to you." She must have had the day off, Elena thought. She didn't ever think she'd seen Andie dressed in jeans. Elena nodded and put away her headphones, and shut her book. Her mind was racing. Did Andie want to talk about last night?

"I'm sorry, about last night." Elena found herself apologizing. "I should've known that Damon would call you." Andie held up a hand.

"Elena, please don't apologize." She laid a hand over Elena's. "I should be apologizing to you. If I had heard you come in, I never would have…."

Elena shook her head. "No, I mean you have every right to be there…I"

"Elena. I don't kid myself. Damon and I…." Andie waved her hand. "We haven't been the same since Stefan left."

"Andie, that's really not my business…" Elena said, blushing.

"No, I just wanted to let you know that we're not a couple. Damon's a friend." She whispered. "When Jenna died…." Elena bit her lip, tears rushing to her eyes. "She was my best friend, Elena. And I miss her so much. And I know you do too." Elena nodded. "Damon and I just kind of became good friends then. I could talk to him about Jenna and he could talk to me about Stefan. He didn't want to bother you with it all. And I know he likes to drink from the vein," It was Andie's turn to blush. "So I help him in that arena too. But I told him last night that I didn't think we should continue that aspect of our relationship." Andie took a deep breath. "I'm not here to give you advice, but he's completely and utterly in love with you. He's a good guy. You should give him a chance." Andie smiled at her genuinely and Elena found herself smiling back at her. She liked Andie, she really did. "Well, I'll let you get back to studying." She stood and Elena stood too. Elena reached out and pulled Andie into a hug. Andie hesitated at first, but then hugged her back. "If you ever want to talk about Jenna or anything else?" Andie asked, "Feel free to call me. Okay?" Elena nodded. "See you around, Elena." Andie grabbed her coffee that Rachel was bringing her and walked over to another table where her cute co-anchor was sitting reading the paper. She kissed his cheek and slid into the chair next to him.

Elena was still processing the conversation when her phone buzzed again, and irritated she pulled it out. 18 new text messages. All from the same persistent pest. She opened the most recent.

_You can't avoid me forever. -D_

She typed a quick reply.

_You'd be surprised how long I can avoid you. I need time to think. A lot has been thrown at me today. We'll talk tomorrow?-E_

His reply was immediate.

_Sure. Everything okay? -D_

Elena glanced over at Andie. She'd received opinions from Caroline, Ric, Bonnie and Andie all in regards to Damon most of them today! Maybe not everyone was on board with team Damon but nobody was flat out against it, either. Elena shook her head, bone tired not only physically exhausted but mentally too. Maybe she should give Damon a chance. It was worth mulling over. She couldn't deny her growing attraction to him, not anymore. Hell, she had always been attracted to him; she had just denied it away because she loved his brother. And the last thing she had wanted to be was anything akin to Katherine. Now, however with Stefan permanently out of the picture? Sighing, Elena texted him back.

_It will be. –E_

* * *

An aggravated Klaus was a dangerous Klaus. And right now? Klaus was outraged. Stefan stayed on the other side of the room, still trying to absorb all that had happened in the past 24 hours. Rebekah was pacing around the room, pulling on her hair wailing about her necklace.

"I want it back, Niklaus!" Rebekah yelled, reaching out a hand to topple over the coffin she had previously occupied.

"I didn't take it, love." Klaus seethed. "Where did you have it last?" Her eyes threw daggers at Klaus and she turned that evil glare on Stefan.

"You!" She strode to Stefan whose eyes widened in confusion. "Where did you put it?" Stefan's hands flew up in defense.

"Sweetheart, I have no idea what the hell you're talking about." Stefan told her calmly. "The first I've seen of you was ten minutes ago, when Klaus pried open your resting place."

Rebekah looked like she could spit blood. She spun on Klaus and tried to slap him. "What did you do to him, Klaus?" Klaus merely laughed. Stefan was now completely lost. What the hell was going on here?

"Oh, relax, Rebekah. I was planning on fixing him shortly, anyway." Klaus strode to Stefan, caught his gaze. Fix him? What the hell was wrong with me, he wondered. "Stefan." Stefan couldn't look away. "Now you remember." Flashbacks bombarded Stefan. Meeting Rebekah, dancing with Rebekah, drinking with Rebekah, loving Rebekah, meeting Klaus, bonding with Klaus, taking the picture on display at Gloria's bar, the night Klaus and Rebekah left, the necklace Rebekah dropped, Klaus compelling him to forget. His eyes flew to Rebekah who was smiling at him softly. He remembered. Klaus cleared his throat.

Stefan glanced quickly at him, but he was drawn back to Rebekah. She was so beautiful. The necklace. They were looking for the necklace. Stefan had pocketed it. He'd kept it for almost ninety years. His blood began to pound through his veins, roaring in his ears. Elena. The necklace Gloria was searching for, the one she needed to contact the original witch. He had given the necklace to Elena. Oh, shit.

"Do you know what happened to it?" Rebekah asked him softly, walking up to him, running a hand down his face. Stefan nodded dumbly at her.

"I do." He whispered.

"Where is it?" Rebekah asked, and Stefan was drawn to her eyes. He tried to fight it, but she was an Original.

"Elena." He said and then all hell broke loose.


	10. Chapter 10

**I had the hardest time figuring out where to start this chapter…and once I got it started I had a harder time trying to make sure Delena didn't take it over! (Though I personally wouldn't mind it!) Hope you enjoy it! And leave me some love! **

Wednesday meant Nerds vs. Preps Day. Caroline had pushed her way into Elena's room last night to pick out an outfit for her to wear. Elena glared at the short plaid skirt, sweater vest and collared white shirt laid out on her bed. Caroline was encouraging her over the phone. "It's adorable!" She protested.

"I'll look like a slutty Britney Spears." Elena whined. "Wait, that's redundant. All I need are the high stockings…"

"Look in the bag!" Caroline squealed. Elena groaned and opened the bag Caroline had brought over last night. "I'm coming to pick you up in ten. You'd better be dressed in what I picked out! Bye!" And she hung up. Elena strangled her phone pretending it was Caroline. It wasn't nearly as satisfying as she imagined the real thing would be. She stomped her feet for a minute, expounding some of her frustration then began to get dressed. Given a choice, Elena would have rather dressed as a nerd today. But Homecoming week was Caroline's thing and hell hath no fury like a Caroline ignored.

Looking in the mirror for one last review, Elena groaned. She absolutely refused to braid her hair in pigtails. She grabbed her bag and was digging looking under some papers for her scientific calculator when she felt the change in the air. She spun around quickly and saw Damon climb in through her window.

"We have a front door you know." She huffed, crossing her arms.

"I prefer to use less conventional methods of entry. Keeps people on their toes." He told her with a grin. She frowned.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Today is the tomorrow you talked about yesterday." He mused, raising an eyebrow. Elena rolled her eyes. "You said we'd talk tomorrow. It's tomorrow."

"And I have school."

"Since when has that ever bothered you? Have you seen your attendance record? You've missed more days than the cast of Teen Mom 2." He quipped; he plopped down on the bed, holding her teddy bear. "Cute outfit by the way. Britney Spears day?"

Elena growled and tapped her foot. "Caroline will be here any minute, talk fast. What do you want, Damon?"

"I want to apologize."

Her face expressed her shock. Well that was unexpected. "For what?"

"For the other night. I should've told you Andie was there." He said hesitantly.

"Oh. Don't worry about that. I should have…"

"We're not together…." Damon began.

"I know we're not together," Elena said shaking her head. Damon laughed.

"Will you let me speak?" He asked and she nodded reluctantly. "Andie and I. We're not together, Elena. She offers her vein and friendship. That's all. And as of two days ago, she doesn't even offer the former anymore."

"I know." She whispered. His head came up, they made eye contact.

"You know?"

"I ran into Andie yesterday at the café. She told me."

"Oh. Well then. So we're good?" He asked. She nodded.

"Yeah. We're good." A horn honked outside. "That's Caroline." She said spotting her calculator she snatched it up. Disappointment crossed his face and Elena frowned. She thought their talk had gone pretty well. "I've gotta go." She turned towards the door. "I'll see you later?" He nodded.

"Sure." She gave him a small wave and he smiled softly. "Later." And he was gone before she even closed her door.

Bonnie failed miserably to hide her laugh and Caroline grinned when Elena walked out of the house. Elena glared at both of them. Bonnie had apparently foregone Caroline's advice and had dressed as a nerd. Glasses with tape in the middle, pocket protector, suspenders the whole shebang! Elena slid into the backseat and shut her door. Caroline spun around. "You look hot!" She squealed. Caroline was dressed fairly similar to Elena, but had apparently opted for the ponytails. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Just drive, Care." Elena said, looking out the window. "The faster this day goes; the better."

"Speak for yourself." Bonnie spoke up from the front seat. "Jer and I are having a talk tonight. Not looking forward to that at all." Both Caroline and Elena shot her sympathetic looks.

"Has he said anything else?" Elena asked.

"Nope, I've been slaving over the grimoires searching for an answer or cure or anything. Nothing. And the spirits are still pretty pissed at me, so no help there either. Guess I'm just stuck with a boyfriend who sees his dead ex-girlfriends." She hugged herself and looked out the window. Neither Caroline nor Elena had anything to say so they remained quiet for the rest of the ride.

They all went their separate ways to class, promising to meet for lunch. Elena aced her Calculus test, or at least felt like she did. History, drama, everything just breezed by for the day and Elena couldn't have been happier. She was really looking forward to her workout with Ric later on. Maybe that was getting her through the day. Endorphins from yesterday's workout, the desire to get the school day over and her talk with Damon. Everything was going well, starting to look up. She wasn't going to let things like Klaus and Stefan cloud her good day. She was sure Damon and Katherine had a grasp on the situation and they would handle it. The end.

When the last bell rang, Elena made her way out to the parking lot, feeling like she was floating. She was happy. Nothing could touch that. As she weaved in and out of cars, making her way to Caroline's she spotted Damon leaning against Caroline's car. His Camaro was parked next to it. He smiled when he saw her and Elena found herself smiling back.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, holding her book and notebooks tighter to her chest. That giddy feeling? Had nothing to do with Damon, or his smile. Nope, not at all.

"Do you trust me?" He said, holding out his hand. She pursed her lips.

"Yes." She said with little to no hesitation. "Why?"

"Hop in." He tilted his head towards his car. She laughed.

"What?" He skirted around the end of his car, and opened the passenger door for her.

"Trust me." With one last questioning look, Elena walked over to his car and slid in. He shut the door behind her. Caroline and Bonnie were walking towards her car; Damon saluted them with two fingers and climbed in. Elena shrugged at their questioning looks, smiled and waved.

"What's going on?" She asked, as he started up the car and backed up. His arm extended behind her head rest, and he looked over his shoulder as he reversed. He had nice arms. Focus, Elena! Elena eyed him suspiciously. He just grinned.

"You'll see." He told her.

"Kidnapping's a felony." She advised him.

"Then I guess I'd better be glad you're not a kid." He turned on the radio. "Also, you got in willingly." She frowned at him and then smiled, finding his good humor contagious. "Just saying."

He stopped off at her house, to allow her to change so she was less 'teeny bopper' and then they quickly hit the road again.

"Where are we going?" She asked, as he got on the highway. "I had plans with Ric today." She protested half-heartedly.

"Now you have plans with me." He told her. "Just enjoy the ride, Elena."

* * *

"Give me a chance to explain." Stefan pleaded. Rebekah stood over him, having knocked him to the ground.

"I'm not mad, Stefan. Just curious. Rebekah, on the other hand….well she looks pretty mad." Stefan pushed to a sitting position, leaned against the wall. "Start at the beginning."

"I picked it up, that night at the club. Kept it on me for years. I gave the necklace to Elena, last year." Stefan began. "She's had it ever since." Klaus nodded and waved his hand for Stefan to continue. Stefan glanced over at Rebekah who looked positively enraged. Klaus wagged his finger at her, warning her to keep quiet.

"So she still has it?" Rebekah asked. "Where is she?" Stefan grimaced. He had to answer the question.

"I'm not sure." He answered. Klaus did not like this answer. He stepped forward, capturing Stefan's gaze.

"Well, she's in Mystic Falls, right?"

"Most likely." Stefan replied, the compulsion forcing his brain and mouth to comply.

"Buried in the cemetery?"

Stefan scrambled for an answer. Honest. "I don't know where she's buried."

Klaus frowned. "You don't know where she's buried?"

"No." Stefan replied. And it was the truth. He didn't. Because she wasn't.

"Well, then I guess we'll have to figure that out won't we?" He mused, he continued to eye Stefan. He was certain Stefan was telling the truth, he had to be. Stefan nodded. Crisis averted temporarily. He turned away. He should warn Damon, but with Klaus and now Rebekah keeping such a watchful eye, he wasn't sure when or how he could do so.

* * *

Elena was doing her homework in the car, the drive was taking forever. Damon was still remaining tight lipped about their destination. She kept glancing over at him, and he would just smile. She'd shake her head in mock frustration. She had texted Alaric earlier to cancel their plans. When Damon exited the highway in Raleigh, Elena started paying attention. She put her book and notebook away in her bag and kept an eye on the sights. He headed downtown into the Warehouse District and Elena looked over at him. "Where are we going?" She asked again.

"You'll find out when we get there." He said with a smirk. She huffed at him and his smirk widened.

"Jerk." She muttered.

"You like it." He murmured seductively, and then laughed when she turned away. He parked on the street, got out and paid the meter. He came around to her door and opened it for her. Once she was standing beside the car, he asked her. "What do you want to eat?"

She scrunched her nose up at him. "Is this a date?" She asked.

He shrugged. "You can call it whatever you want. I got you out of Mystic Falls to do something fun for a change. So…what'll it be?"

"Seafood?" She asked with a smile. "I haven't had good seafood in a really long time!" Damon held out his arm, and she took it.

"Seafood it is, then."

* * *

Katherine lounged lazily in the Salvatore house. Mikael had disappeared shortly after their discussion and subsequent agreement on killing Klaus. She had raided the Salvatore wine cellar upon her arrival to celebrate. She sipped on her champagne and threw her arm over her eyes. Mikael's only condition to their new deal was that they get Klaus to return to Mystic Falls. Gloria had assured her that was already handled. Katherine and Gloria went way back, further than Klaus and Gloria. According to her, Klaus had discovered Stefan had been keeping something from him. An Elena related something. Based on Katherine's calculations, that should place Klaus, his brat sister and Stefan in Mystic Falls no later than Friday.

Damon had told Katherine to head back to Mystic Falls once everything with Mikael had been arranged. So here she was….and where was he? Out on a date with his little girlfriend. She debated briefly on heading to town to see what kind of chaos she could create impersonating her favorite little doppelganger. That was played out though, and not much fun anymore now that most of Elena's circle knew of her existence. Pouting just a little, she looked around the house. She was bored. And a bored Katherine always ended badly for someone.

* * *

Damon held the door open for her, and guided her in, his hand on her lower back. Elena shivered at his touch. He frowned down at her. "Cold?" He asked. She blushed and shook her head. At the hostess stand, the two hostesses stood and giggled. They were eyeing Damon up and down. Elena threw her head back and groaned.

"Not again." She muttered. Damon looked down at her and grinned.

"I can't help it that I'm devastatingly handsome." She rolled her eyes and smacked him in the chest.

"And so modest too." One of the gigglers led them to their table and Elena slid into her chair that he held out for her. "Careful, Salvatore." She told him with a raised eyebrow looking over her menu. "Keep up all this chivalry and you'll have me thinking this is a real date."

"I was raised a southern gentleman, you know." He quipped. She snorted and immediately covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes growing to the size of saucers. He looked up from his menu and smiled, fighting back a laugh. A shadow fell over the table and to Elena's surprise and relief they had a male waiter. They both ordered quickly and Damon leaned back in his seat, clearly relaxing. "So," he ventured, "any new feelings about college?"

She frowned thoughtfully and told him all about her recent musings on college and where she was thinking about applying. He inserted random sometimes helpful comments like 'that town is boring', 'you'd hate it there', or 'it's a good school.' She was surprised she was still talking by the time dinner arrived. She dug right in and frowned when she realized Damon hadn't touched his. He was just staring at her, a pensive expression on his face.

"What?" She asked, blotting her mouth with her napkin.

"Nothing." He shook his head and took a bite of his dinner.

"Sure?"

"Yup." He replied, taking a sip of his wine.

"Well, tell me about some of your college experiences." She twirled her fork in her pasta, and made sure to include a shrimp.

He laughed. "They're all very boring. Are you sure you want to know?" She shrugged.

"Regale me with your tales, Mr. Salvatore." He grinned and told her true stories and tall tales alike.

Once she was finished eating and the waiter had taken away their plates, she found herself with her elbow on the table, chin in hand and laughing at Damon. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had so much fun. She hadn't though once about Stefan, or Klaus or Mystic Falls or Damon being a vampire. She was just enjoying herself. Deciding to forego dessert, she waved away the waiter and Damon paid the bill. She looked back at Damon.

"You ready to go?" He asked her with a smile.

"No." She pouted. "I'm really enjoying this."

He laughed and stood. He held out his hand to help her up. "Well, the night's not over yet." She stood, placed her hand in his and followed him out of the restaurant.

* * *

Stefan woke on the floor. He felt tired, weak. Sensations he hadn't experienced in a very long time. Had Klaus Vervained him? He lifted his head to take a quick inventory of his surroundings. The coffins were behind him and to his right racked on the walls. It wasn't a very big room, maybe 16 feet by 8 feet. Where the hell was the door? His eyes adjusted to the darkness, one of the bonuses of being a predator. Based on the noises, he wasn't alone. He stood up immediately, backing up against the wall.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked. "What is this?"

"Calm down, mate." Klaus told him, holding up his hand. He was sitting on an overturned box. "We'll find the necklace, take it back to Gloria, connect with the Original witch and find out why my bloody hybrids keep failing."

Stefan scrambled to come up with ideas. "I lost it. Give me the chance to redeem myself. I'll head to Mystic Falls and recover it. I can be back here in 48 hours, tops."

Klaus shook his head. "No need, Stefan." Klaus stood and walked over to the wall. Bending down he yanked on a handle and up went the door. A rolling door. It was a moving truck. They were in a truck. As the door rolled up, dread filled Stefan. The scenery became overwhelmingly familiar. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls, Stefan."


	11. Chapter 11

**Thanks for sticking with me! I love you guys! Little bit longer AN at the end! Feel free to leave me some love afterwards too! **

Jeremy twirled his straw in his glass, moving his ice around in a circle. Bonnie was pushing her food around on her plate, and finally she just pushed it away. Jeremy's shoulders sunk in defeat. "So that's it then?" He asked softly.

"I don't know, Jeremy." She said. She looked up from her plate, made eye contact. "I don't know why you'd keep something like this from me, from everybody for months! It makes me wonder what else you haven't told me." Jeremy shook his head.

"Bonnie, I…"

"I think we both should take some time and give each other a little space." Bonnie blew out a tremulous breath. She was visibly upset and that was what hurt Jeremy the most.

"I never meant…"

"I know you didn't, Jeremy." Bonnie stood. "I need to go. I'll see you at school." And she turned around and left. Jeremy leaned back in his seat and laced his fingers together behind his head. Matt walked by to bus a table.

"Didn't go well, huh Jer?" Matt asked sympathetically. Jeremy shook his head. Snagging his jacket, Jeremy stood too.

"Have them add this to my tab?" He told Matt and left. Tucking his hands in his pockets, he walked towards his car. Right before he rounded the corner of the building he heard a disturbingly familiar voice. He paused so he wouldn't be seen. His best bet was to say hidden, announcing his presence would not do anybody any good.

"The necklace Stefan gave to Elena? It's mine. I want it back. You're going to take me to Elena's grave. And help me get it." Elena's grave?

"Elena's not buried anywhere. She was cremated. And why would I ever help you?" Bonnie hissed. Oh, shit, Jeremy thought. Klaus had Bonnie!

"I want that necklace, Bonnie. But maybe I don't need it. Coincidentally, your witchy interference seems to have caused some undesirable side effects." Jeremy pulled out his phone and began to text Damon. "And since I'm fairly certain you caused the problem, I'm going to have you find the fix." Someone snapped their fingers. Jeremy heard a scuffle.

"Tyler!" Bonnie cried and Jeremy peeked slowly around the corner to see what was happening. One of Klaus' henchmen dragged Tyler from a van parked a few feet away, stopping in front of Klaus.

"I'm going to make this very simple. Every time I attempt to turn a werewolf into a vampire hybrid, they die during the transition. It's quite horrible, actually." Klaus bit his wrist, and then forced Tyler to drink his blood. "I need you to find a way to save my hybrids, Bonnie. And for Tyler's sake…..you'd better hurry." He snapped Tyler's neck. He smiled then. "Tick tock, love." A henchman lifted Tyler's body and followed Klaus out of the alleyway. "I'm sure you remember how to get in touch with Stefan. When you find my cure, give me a call." And they disappeared from sight.

* * *

Damon threaded his fingers through Elena's. He loved the carefree look that had graced her face the majority of the night. She just looked happy. And he would die trying to keep that look on her face, no questions asked. They were walking down the street towards a club. Saltare. It had always been one of his favorites and tonight they were featuring a friend of his. And Elena just so happened to be a fan. A closet fan, but a fan nonetheless. The line was wrapped around the block and he neatly skirted them, pulling Elena along behind him. "Where are we going?" She laughed, and he turned back to smile at her.

"Not much farther." He stopped at the entrance and nodded to the doorman. "Salvatore." He told him. As the doorman scanned the list, Elena tugged on his sleeve.

"What is this place?" She asked.

"Saltare." He told her. "Live music, fun place."

"Mr. Salvatore, welcome to Saltare. You and your guest go through the double doors and take a right. Your table is reserved with a name card." He took down the rope and allowed them entrance. People behind them groaned and Damon just grinned.

"This way." He said to Elena as they walked in. The look of wonderment on her face was well worth the finagling he'd had to do to make this evening happen. She took everything in, and just followed him blindly. Once they finally reached their table, she looked out over the stage. He flagged down a server and she whipped right over. "What would you like to drink?" He asked Elena getting her to lean in close. The sweet scent of her shampoo filled his lungs and his eyes fluttered closed for a brief second. He opened them to find her smiling at him.

"I'll have a beer. Corona with a lime?"

Damon made a face. "Corona?" She nodded. He ordered a Corona for her and a Samuel Adams for himself.

"So we're here for the music?" She asked, looking around.

"The music, yes. And to dance." He smiled.

"I like to dance." She grinned.

"I know." He told her. He knew everything she liked. Including the headliner he had arranged for the evening's entertainment. He glanced at the time on his phone; she was due to start in about ten minutes. He then toggled it so it went into silent mode. He wouldn't hear it in here anyways, but he didn't want any distractions. Alaric knew where they were and how to get ahold of him if need be. Damon relaxed into his seat and enjoyed the music and the view. Elena sat almost in front of him, so she was directly in his line of sight. He was so glad she had decided to come with him. He wouldn't have forced her. His heart had nearly burst from joy the night he'd returned from Charlotte and she'd flown into the house and into his arms. And then Andie had come out of his study, where he had been feeding from her and sent Elena running. He'd been so close; she'd been so close to admitting that she felt something, had some kind of feelings for him. He'd get it out of her yet, though. He recognized she was fresh from a break up, and with his baby brother no less, but they had something. Had always had something. And he was determined to build on it.

"Why this place?" She asked, as the waitress came back with their drinks. Damon handed her hers and tipped his bottle towards her. She tapped her neck of her bottle to his. "Cheers." She murmured.

"I like this place." He told her honestly. He spotted someone walking determinedly towards their table. Shit. It was the manager. She was cute, if you like the whole spiky black hair, short sprite look she had going on. And he didn't.

"Damon!" She yelled above the noise. Elena turned to see who was calling his name. "So good to see you." She walked up the table and stood there as Elena stared at her.

"Gracie. Likewise. Elena Gilbert, this is Gracie Hart. She runs this place." Damon introduced

them, albeit reluctantly. Elena offered her hand.

"Pleasure to meet you." Elena said, and sipped her beer.

"Same here." Gracie said. "So what do you think, Salvatore? You approve?" She spread her hands to indicate the dance floor.

"It looks good." He said. Elena cocked her head at him, scrunched up her face.

"Glad you like it. You paid for it." Elena's eyes widened and he sighed. He took a long draw from his beer. "Anyway, Taylor should be coming on in a minute. She said she'd see you backstage after?" He winced. Elena's jaw dropped. Shit, Gracie sure knew how to ruin things. "Let me know if you guys want anything! I'll be over there." She pointed at the closest bar. Damon nodded.

"What is she talking about?" She asked. "Do you own this place?" He scratched the back of his neck.

She laughed. "Jesus, Damon. What else don't I know about you?" She took a drink.

"I like to read classic lit, mostly American stuff. Hemingway, Twain, Salinger. I love to cook, I am Italian mind you, and my guilty pleasure is The Walking Dead. Best show on tv by far." He tipped his beer at her and took a long drink. "And I'm ridiculously wealthy."

Elena laughed again and Damon smiled. They dimmed the lights and Elena clapped her hands. "So who's Taylor?" She asked.

"Taylor? Swift." He told her and watched her eyes grow to the size of saucers.

"Taylor Swift. Here?" Elena made a face.

"Don't even try to deny it, Gilbert. I've seen your iPod. And your top 25 played playlist. Nine of those were Taylor." Elena opened her mouth to protest when Taylor walked out on stage. She winked in their direction and mouthed 'hey!' before stepping up to the microphone. Elena turned to glare at Damon.

"Did she just wink at you?" Elena shrieked, completely mind blown.

"Maybe. Maybe not." He waved at the waitress who brought them another round.

"You know Taylor Swift? How do you know Taylor Swift?"

"We may have dot dot dot." He said with a wicked grin. Elena smacked his arm playfully.

"Oh my God! She's like 22!" He found this oddly amusing and kept smiling at her.

"Legal, last I checked."

"You're ridiculous." She told him with a grin. "Wait. Did she….?"

He winked at her, enjoying this banter. "Yup. 'I knew you were trouble.'" He said, downing his beer. Elena began giggling. Taylor had launched into her first song after thanking the owner for inviting her to sing tonight. Damon had agreed to donate all profits from tonight to Taylor's favorite charity. She had been in town, and she liked doing small venues occasionally. Kept her real. Elena was swaying in her seat, singing along and Damon smiled. Well worth it.

* * *

Katherine was strolling through downtown Mystic Falls when Jeremy rushed up to her and pulled her into an alleyway. "Jeremy!" Katherine frowned. "I was on my way to get something to eat." Her frown turned to a pout.

"Klaus is here." Jeremy hissed. "He fed Tyler his blood then killed him."

"Well isn't that an interesting turn of events." She tapped her finger to her lips. "I really don't care though." Jeremy rolled his eyes.

"He's a friend, Katherine."

"He's a werewolf, young Gilbert."

"He's our friend. Klaus charged Bonnie with finding the cure."

"Then she'd better get to work." Katherine said. "Mikael said he would be here by Friday last time I talked to him."

"That's too far away! Tyler will be dead by then!" Jeremy yelled.

Katherine shrugged and began to walk away. "He's friends with your group? He knew the risks. Oh and you might want to warn your sister….and her date." She waggled her fingers in his direction. "Toodleloo. You know where to find me."

* * *

"I'm gonna slow this one down a little, I love this song." Taylor said and Damon offered his hand to Elena. The band started up.

"May I have this dance, Miss Gilbert?" She smiled at him and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor. He wrapped his arm around her waist, and she slid her arm around to rest around his neck. There was space between them, but not much.

_Put your lips close to mine_

_As long as they don't touch_

_Out of focus, eye to eye _

_Till the gravity's too much_

She leaned back and held eye contact. His heart beat a little faster. The corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile. He could only focus on her.

_And I'll do anything you say_

_If you say it with your hands_

_And I'd be smart to walk away _

_But you're quick sand_

She looked so damned beautiful and he couldn't help but imagine what life would be like with her at his side. It was a nice thought anyway. She moved closer and laid her head down on his shoulder, tucking it neatly under his chin.

_This slope is Treacherous, _

_This path is reckless_

_This slope is Treacherous, _

_And I, I, I like it_

"Thank you." She whispered. He grunted she wouldn't really hear his response in here anyway. "This has been amazing." She leaned back again and pressed her lips to his cheek. Everything stood still.

Her eyes strayed to his lips. He watched her intently, heard her heartbeat over everything surrounding them. The people, the music, everything. Her heart was racing; he could see the decision in her eyes and hear it in her pulse before she even made it.

_I can't decide if it's a choice_

_Getting swept away_

_I hear the sound of my own voice_

_Asking you to stay_

She leaned forward and he froze. He was scared to move. He had wanted nothing but this for the past two years. It was almost surreal. Her lips touched his and it was a good thing he didn't require air, because he would have stopped breathing. He shuddered, and pulled her closer. He made a sound, half growl half moan in the back of his throat. Cupping her face with one hand, he tangled the other in her hair. She tightened her grip on his neck pressing herself, her body to his. The kiss was slow, tender and exploratory. And over too soon. "Damon," she murmured breathily against his lips. He leaned his forehead against hers and sighed.

"Elena, I…" Damon began when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around, ready to pounce on whoever was interrupting this amazing moment with the girl of his dreams. Gracie. _Fuck_.

"Sorry, Salvatore." She told him with a sympathetic glance at Elena. "There's a phone call for you. Says it's an emergency." He looked over his shoulder at Elena who was frozen in place. He reached for her hand, tugged her off the dance floor. He walked behind the bar and slipped through an 'Employees Only' door. Elena was shaking and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Everything's going to be fine." He promised, but it sounded empty even to him. He picked up the phone in the manager's office. "Ric?"

"He's here. Klaus is here. Get your ass back to Mystic Falls."

* * *

"I don't care how you solve your hybrid problem, Niklaus. I just want my bloody necklace back!"

Rebekah yelled. She was throwing things across the room. Klaus sat in an armchair, Stefan was standing by the fireplace.

"I'll get your necklace back, Rebekah. I just have to track it down. Bonnie said Elena was cremated. I'll have Vince track down the records at the funeral home. All in good time, love." A moan came from the corner of the room and Klaus looked over at the lump on the floor that was Tyler Lockwood.

Gasping for air, Tyler sat upright. He looked around the room, recognizing Klaus and Stefan immediately. "Welcome back, mate." Klaus said, striding over to squat in front of Tyler. Tyler backed into the corner automatically.

"What the hell is going on?" Tyler asked.

"Well, it's a bit complicated. Your friends Elena and Bonnie, they really mucked things up for me. Bonnie is going to try and fix it. Let's hope she does….for your sake. You're either going to be my first hybrid or the next in a long string of disappointments. I'm hoping you're the former." Klaus stood, offered Tyler his hand. "You're in transition, mate. Welcome to immortality." He smiled. "Maybe."

Tyler took Klaus' hand, albeit reluctantly and stood. He looked around the room frantically, where had Stefan gone? Klaus walked back over to his chair, plopped down in it. Rebekah slipped in front of Tyler, caught his gaze with hers. "My necklace. Do you know where it is?" Tyler looked at her as if she had just escaped from a mental ward.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Tyler told her. Rebekah pulled out a picture of herself and Stefan from the twenties. Tyler scratched his head, completely and utterly confused.

"Looks like this, wolf boy!" She pointed at the necklace. "Where is it?"

Tyler felt a pull on his brain, he knew the answer. He had to tell her, answer honestly. "Elena Gilbert."

"Yes, I know!" Rebekah raged. "Stefan gave it to her! Where is it? What did they do with it after she was cremated?" Tyler looked over at Klaus who looked fairly interested in their conversation, he had his fingers steepled together and his index fingers resting on his lips.

"Elena Gilbert still has it." Tyler answered.

"What?" Klaus seethed, jumping up from his seat and stalking over to Tyler. "The witch lied?" Tyler shrugged. Klaus grit his teeth. "Was Elena Gilbert cremated?" Tyler shook his head.

"No. Elena wasn't cremated."

"So where is she buried?"

"She isn't." Tyler replied, and then swallowed thickly at the look of complete and utter fury that had encompassed Klaus' face.

"What?"

"Elena Gilbert isn't buried." Tyler repeated. "She's not dead."

**Dun dun dun…. **** So I've recently fallen in love with Taylor Swift's album Red. And I love, love, love that song (Treacherous). And I thought it kind of fit perfectly with this whole situation….so if you're a Taylor hater…I'm sorry! **

**Also *sigh* Delena kiss! There's more to come where that came from! Stay tuned!**

**And review! I 3 reviews! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	12. Chapter 12

**So I'll start off by saying thanks for reading! Glad you guys are still here! Let me just say that this is not where I saw this fic originally going….but I start writing and this is what happens! And without further ado…..I give you Chapter 12!**

She was quiet on the ride home. Too quiet. "I can't take you to the boarding house. Or to your house. Or to Bonnie or Caroline's. Stefan's been invited into all those places. So that leaves the quarterback." She nodded and Damon reached for her hand, twined his fingers with hers squeezed gently.

"Thank you. For not locking me up somewhere and leaving me behind." She said softly.

"Oh, I was tempted. Frankly this is not one of my smarter decisions." He turned to give her a half smile. "That kiss must have fried my brain. It's the only reasoning I can come up with for my sudden lack of good judgment."

One corner of her mouth turned up in a smile, but she wouldn't look at him. Then she shrugged one shoulder. "It was alright." She murmured. He laughed and squeezed her hand again, glad that she was able to make jokes. Meant she was still with him, and not sliding into a nonfunctional state. That would be bad given current events.

"Well, once this Klaus business is behind us, I'd be more than willing to provide a repeat performance and show you just how 'alright' it can be." She looked away and he was pretty sure she blushed. Her phone buzzed in her purse and she bent in the seat to get it, letting go of his hand. He groaned internally at the loss of contact but it was probably better that way anyway. "Who is it?" He asked. Elena was suddenly staring at the phone like it was a bomb about to go off in her hand.

"Stefan." She whispered. And handed it to him. Damon slid his finger across the screen to answer it and immediately touched the speaker phone option.

"Elena's phone. Damon speaking." He said in an annoyingly chipper voice. Elena stared at him in horror. Apparently she didn't want him antagonizing his little brother. But antagonizing Stefan was what Damon did best.

"Damon? Where's Elena?" Stefan sounded slightly perplexed.

"Hello, baby brother. It's good to talk to you too. How have you been?"

"Damnit, Damon. I don't have time for your games." Stefan growled. "Is Elena with you? Yes or no." Damon turned to look at Elena, a question in his eyes. She nodded.

"Maybe. Sorta kinda. Not really." Damon answered.

"Listen, asshole. Klaus is after Elena's necklace." Elena's hand flew to cover her necklace protectively. "Does she have it on her?" Elena nodded, and Damon rolled his eyes. Stefan really knew how to kill his buzz.

"Yes."

"Good. Take it from her. Bring it to me at the falls in 30 minutes. Can you do that?" Damon glanced at his watch. "Damon?" Stefan sounded harried, under duress.

"Yes."

"30 minutes. And don't bring Elena." Stefan said and hung up. Damon glanced over at Elena and then switched into the next gear speeding recklessly towards Mystic Falls.

* * *

Katherine was standing outside the Donovan house when Damon pulled into the driveway. He got out quickly and helped Elena out. She was tapping her foot. "I hate waiting, Salvatore." Katherine grumbled.

"Get over it." He told Katherine as he quickly escorted Elena to the door. Matt pulled open the front door and stood there gawking at Elena and Katherine behind her. "Thanks for doing this, Mutt." Damon said. Matt rolled his eyes at the nickname. Damon addressed Elena firmly. "Stay here. I mean it. Don't leave for anyone or anything. I'll be back shortly." Moving quickly, he brushed a kiss across her forehead and was back in the car in seconds. Katherine went scrambling after him.

"Well that was interesting." Matt mumbled and held the door open wide for Elena.

Elena sighed and walked inside, dropping her purse on the entryway table. "Don't even get me started." She spun on her heel quickly to face Matt, feeling like scum again for forgetting. "Any word on Tyler?" Matt shook his head. "Jeremy and Bonnie are holed up searching for answers. They're safe."

"Caroline?" Elena asked, heading for the kitchen.

"In here." Caroline called out and Elena rushed to embrace her. Caroline squeezed her tight. "Are you okay?" Elena buried her head in Caroline's shoulder and nodded.

"You?" Elena said against Caroline's sweater.

"Yeah. I'm worried about Tyler." Elena pulled back to look at Caroline. Her eyes were brimming with tears.

"I know, Care. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Elena. It's Klaus. He's the one that did this."

"Bonnie's going to figure it out." Elena insisted. "It'll all work itself out." It was now her turn to rub Caroline's back consolably. She nodded at Matt, who was holding up a teapot and he began to make tea. Elena wrapped her arm around Caroline leaned her head down on her shoulder. "Everything's going to be okay." Maybe if Elena said it enough, she'd start to believe it herself.

* * *

"Have you heard anything back from Mikael?" Damon asked as he sped towards the nearest place he could park his car to the Falls.

Katherine shook her head. "Nope. Said he'd be here Friday. It's not Friday." She told him.

"Always so literal, those Originals." Damon muttered.

"Ah, well. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll show up early." She twirled a curl around her index finger, pursed her lips. "So how do we know this isn't a trap or an ambush or anything else resembling a bad idea?"

"It's not. I have a built in Stefan lie-o-meter. It didn't go off." Damon told her parking the car and glancing quickly at his watch. He slipped the necklace into his pocket and took off towards the Falls. Katherine followed close behind, making sure to keep relatively out of sight. She was merely backup on this adventure. Stefan was standing by the Falls, arms crossed when Damon flew up behind him. He shoved Stefan for good measure.

"What the hell, Damon?" Stefan asked as he stumbled a little.

"Just felt like it." Damon shrugged. Pulling the necklace out of his pocket, he dangled it in front of Stefan like a toy to a dog. "Looking for this?" Stefan reached for it, and Damon jerked it out of his reach.

"Don't be a dick." Stefan muttered.

"Can't help it." Damon said with his signature smirk. "So how is our friendly little homicidal hybrid?"

"I'm not here for small talk, Damon. Give me the necklace and I'll make sure to nudge Klaus on his way out of Mystic Falls." Stefan growled.

"Too bad, little brother. I love small talk." Damon gloated. "Why is Klaus here?"

"For the necklace. His hybrids aren't working, because Elena's still alive." Damon's eyebrows rose and he waved at Stefan as if to say 'go on.' "If Bonnie can figure out a way to fix it, Klaus never needs to know Elena still lives. So help her fix it and soon. Or Tyler's as good as dead." Stefan reached again for the necklace.

Damon danced two steps back, effectively eluding his brother who was quickly becoming angry. "So why not tell Klaus Elena is still kicking?" Damon frowned, cocking his head at Stefan. "The Ripper I know and somewhat love would."

"Because as much as I don't want to, I still care about her. I don't want to see her die." Stefan shouted. "Give me the damn necklace and let me go! Eventually Klaus is going to realize I'm missing. He's kind of preoccupied with Tyler at the moment." Stefan lunged for the necklace, only catching Damon slightly off guard.

"Damnit Damon." Stefan growled. "Hand over the damn necklace!"

"Boys, boys." Said a voice out of nowhere, Damon spun to face it, tucking the necklace neatly back in his jacket pocket. Damon breathed a small sigh of relief, audible only to Stefan who looked absolutely perplexed.

"Fantastic timing, Mikael." Damon said, tipping his head in greeting.

"I quite pride myself on it actually." Mikael said, strolling up to the two brothers. Damon saw a flash of auburn hair and rolled his eyes. Seemed Katherine wanted to come out to play. He shook his head and if he hadn't been listening for it, would never have heard her grumble at him. Thankfully neither Mikael nor Stefan noticed. Mikael nodded at Damon. "Stefan Salvatore, I presume." Stefan eyed Mikael wearily.

"Possibly. And who might you be?"

"Only brothers would bicker the way you two were, Stefan. And I've already had the unique experience of dealing with your pesky brother. You two are cut from the same cloth, I'm afraid." Damon smiled and Stefan winced but crossed his arms. "And I, young Ripper am the answer to all of your problems." Stefan grunted his disbelief and glanced over at Damon.

"Fair enough." Stefan acknowledged. "But how could you possibly be the answer to all of my problems?"

"Put quite frankly, Stefan?" Mikael smiled a cold, heartless smile. "I'm here to kill Niklaus."

* * *

Bonnie screamed in frustration. "They won't talk to me!" Jeremy was pacing back and forth on the basement floor. Things were not going well. All that Bonnie had learned was that Elena needed to die. And that was not an acceptable outcome. There had to be another answer, another way to complete the ritual.

"Maybe I need to leave. Maybe they don't like me here. I'm a reminder of what you did." Jeremy offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"You're not safe anywhere else right now. You stay." She closed her eyes and began chanting again. Jeremy continued his pacing and sighed heavily. Mikael had better make an appearance soon. He was their only way out of this, the only way Elena didn't have to die. However, on the other hand it meant Tyler would die. Without the cure for the hybrids, Tyler wouldn't survive the transition to vampire. Caroline would be devastated. As Elena would also be. But losing Elena wasn't an option. He was pretty sure every single one of them would agree there. And definitely Damon. Everyone else was negotiable or expendable to Damon.

His phone beeped in his back pocket and he dug it out earning a death glare from Bonnie. "Sorry." He mock whispered.

_Mikael is here. Meet Donovan's in 1 hour. -D_

Oh, thank Jesus! Jeremy exhaled heavily, a big sigh. "Mikael's here. Damon wants us to meet him at Matt's in an hour."

"Good. Because I'm still getting the same answer. Bump waiting." She huffed, and stood up. She quickly extinguished all the candles with a wave of her hand. "Let's go."

* * *

Elena was huddled close to Caroline when the front door opened. Damon stood on the other side, and Matt reluctantly invited him in. Crossing the threshold, Damon strode quickly over to Elena's side. He squatted in front of her, ran his hand over her hair. "Everything okay?" He asked. Elena smiled softly at him and nodded. He glanced at Caroline. Her tears were his answer. Soon after Damon stood, Katherine and Mikael appeared at the door. Matt huffed and looked back at Elena. Elena frowned but nodded at him.

"I'm sorry." She mouthed. He sighed and invited them both in.

"Thank you kindly." Mikael told him. "I promise no harm shall come to you or any of you here, not by my hand." Matt nodded and Katherine passed him without as much as a second glance. Mikael stood in front of the television and Katherine took a seat opposite Caroline and Elena. Damon stood in front of Elena, his protective nature not slipping a notch even in the presence of allies. Their history with allies was not the greatest.

The door opened suddenly and Jeremy and Bonnie walked in. Elena could tell from the body language that things were tense between the two and she felt bad for them. Her brother loved Bonnie, she knew that. Some things were unforgivable though and Jeremy had withheld too much information from them to be trusted, at least by Bonnie. Elena stood and hugged her brother, then Bonnie tight.

"I'm so glad you're both okay." Elena whispered to them. Jeremy nodded and looked forlornly at Bonnie and sighed. She rubbed his back. "It will all work out." She told him. He nodded, but she could tell by the look in his eyes that he didn't believe it.

Alaric was the last to make an appearance. He walked in with a crossbow over his shoulder, two duffel bags loaded down with Vervain grenades, Vervain darts, wooden stakes, Wolfs bane grenades and a bunch of other stuff Elena probably didn't want to know about. He set the bags down on the kitchen table and joined the group. He greeted the group with a 'hey' and stood in the corner, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Alright." Damon clapped his hands together and took center stage. Elena went back to sit by Caroline and Bonnie flanked her on the other side. They hugged each other for comfort. "Let's get this party started. Since my ever loyal brother could not disclose Klaus' current location, we tailed him to discover it for ourselves. Now that we have that, cue you." He told Mikael and moved to stand near to Elena again.

"Niklaus has yet to learn of my presence here in Mystic Falls, though should he ask Stefan the right question, Stefan will be forced to answer it. Our best defense against this outcome is to move quickly. Niklaus also has yet to learn of Miss Pierce's presence as well. She has elected to provide her services as bait. Klaus would never believe Damon would sacrifice Elena; he would immediately suspect foul play. But...should young Caroline who I've learned has affections for the young werewolf appears to sacrifice her friend for love..."

Damon held up his hand. "Seriously? That's your plan? You really think he'll believe that Caroline would sacrifice her friend for wolfboy?" Damon glanced behind him at Elena. "And I thought your plans sucked." Elena frowned at him.

"Personally, I think it's a great plan." Katherine piped up.

"Oh, you would." Damon retorted.

Katherine laughed. "Seriously. I can play the victim. And I've become dreadfully good at playing dear old Elena. Just find me a flat iron and some boring jeans and a tee and I'll be well on my way to convincing Klaus that I'm the newest doppelganger." Katherine said with a perky smile. Elena glowered at her.

"And then what? Mikael pops up out of nowhere, stakes him with this mythical white oak tree dagger and rides off into the sunset?" Damon asked, crossing his arms.

"The dagger isn't mythical. I assure you its quite real. It's close and stashed somewhere for safekeeping." Mikael eyed Damon. "So in case you're thinking what I think you're thinking..."

"I might be reckless, but I'm not stupid. You're our best shot at bringing Klaus down. I'm not taking any chances here." Damon replied, glancing over his shoulder at Elena. "So Alaric, Jeremy and I wait in the wings in case there's trouble? Once Katherine- Elena is dead, we all move in? Sounds either incredibly farfetched or far too simple. I can't decide which." He remarked. "Won't Klaus be expecting a double cross?"

"Most likely." Mikael pointed at Damon. "Which is why the simpler the better. He'll outthink himself. It's always been his downfall, anticipating moves."

Damon shook his head. He turned to look at Elena, facing her. "I don't like it. And where does Elena fit into all of this?"

"She stays here. It's the safest place for her right now." Elena's eyes never left his. She shrugged.

"It sounds like our best option."

"I still don't like it." He whispered. "What's your take on this, Ric?" Damon asked the other vampire hunter.

"It sucks but…." Ric started.

Caroline spoke up. "It's our only shot. And if we can't save Tyler we damn sure better save Elena." She wrapped her arm around Elena. "Bonnie, make the call. Tell Stefan to bring Klaus and Tyler to the falls. If we head there now, we can pick the perfect spots. Klaus will never know we're there." Caroline stood, gave Elena a big hug. "I love you." She whispered. Elena nodded and whispered it back.

Mikael disappeared with the promise of meeting them in the clearing in fifteen minutes. Katherine followed Elena up into Vicki's old room to change. Katherine pulled on Elena's jeans and shirt, pulled her hair back into a ponytail so the waves in her hair were less visible. Elena borrowed an old pair of jeans from Vicki that Matt had yet to pack up and one of his own football t-shirts. They hurried back downstairs and Damon pulled her aside immediately. The others had all made their way outside, Matt included for a proper send off.

"Don't do anything stupid." She told him and she stepped into his embrace and held him tight.

"Likewise." He whispered against the top of her head. "Is it weird that I'm kind of jealous that you're wearing the quarterback's shirt?" He shook his head as if to clear it, and yanked her shoulders back so he could see her face. "Do not leave this house, Elena. I mean it. I don't care who calls and tells you what, you stay here." He said firmly. "Okay?"

She nodded. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I don't want you to go." She said softly, almost too low for him to hear it. "Any of you. Don't let anything happen to them."

"I won't." He took a deep breath and brushed a kiss across her cheek. She closed her eyes and with a light breeze, she knew he had gone. She walked to the door, stepped out onto the porch. She watched as they all piled into two cars, leaving Matt and herself behind. Elena waved a sad little wave. As Damon pulled out of the driveway, his gaze caught hers. A small smile graced his handsome features and she found herself smiling back just a little.

The two cars disappeared and when Matt turned at the base of the steps and his eyes widened in horror. Elena's heart stopped and she slowly turned, feeling like she was stuck inside some type of time warp. Standing in between her and the door to her house was none other than Klaus. Well, hell.

The smile on his face was cold and cruel. It sent ice cold fear shivering down her spine and through her veins. "There's my girl." Klaus murmured. "You are supposed to be dead. What are we going to do about that?"

**So, surprisingly I'm already halfway through the next chapter….and not to bribe you or anything….but I might be so inclined to finish it very quickly and maybe post it VERY soon (we're talking before Christmas) if you guys leave me some love. I mean, it doesn't have to be wordy or anything! Just SOME kind of feedback….a smiley face, a two word phrase like 'good job' or 'this sucks' or even 'Merry Christmas?' I reply to my reviews which let's face it; there's been 12. It's not hard to do! Thanks y'all! And if I don't see you again before Christmas (and I hope I do!) Merry Christmas! Or Merry ****Christmahanakwanzika! **


	13. Chapter 13

**As promised! Thank you to all the wonderful readers who reviewed! You have them to thank for this chapter! Even to my 'guest' reviewer who congratulated me on surviving the apocalypse! I did survive, lol and I'm glad all of you did as well! Expect a somewhat longer AN at the end! So here is Chapter 13 without further ado! **

Damon and Jeremy were side by side, covered by an abandoned deer stand on the far side from where Klaus and his entourage would be emerging. "I still don't like this." Damon whispered. "Something's off." He looked around. Katherine and Caroline were standing in the middle of the field next to Bonnie. Bonnie was crying, Katherine was faking shivering, and to her credit, Damon believed she was crying too. Alaric was stationed somewhere off to their right, Damon had caught the glint of his cross bow a few minutes ago as he found the perfect spot to crouch in.

Jeremy glanced at his watch, the soft glow of the moon allowing him to actually see the time. "He's still got 5 minutes." Jeremy whispered. Damon cursed under his breath. He shook his head at Jeremy.

"Something's wrong." He insisted. "If Klaus knew we'd found the solution to his problem he would have been here by now."

"Not necessarily. He's Klaus. He probably wants us to sweat." Jeremy argued.

"Not when it comes to his hybrids." He made the move to stand up. Jeremy yanked on his leather jacket. Damon growled low in his throat and reached for Jeremy's hand tempted to rip it off just to teach the brat a lesson, when he heard Alaric. It was the softest 'Oh, fuck' he'd ever heard, but definitely the scariest. His head flew to the girls in the middle of the clearing and his heart stopped. Just fucking stopped.

Klaus was striding into the clearing all smiles and cockiness, just exuding arrogance. Bastard. Behind him, hands calmly by her side looking zombified for lack of a better word walked Elena. Her face was blank, as if she wasn't scared, had no emotion whatsoever. And then it hit him. Her necklace, he had given it to Stefan. She had no Vervain anywhere on her. Klaus had compelled her. Any hope of her getting out of this situation alive died a slow horrible death in the pit of his stomach.

_Damon hung up the phone and turned to look at her. "I won't stay, Damon. You can't ask me to. Everyone I love is in danger. You can't make me stay here. I won't hide." Her eyes were red, rimmed with tears. She pleaded with him, but saw the resolve in his eyes. "Please."_

"_Elena, if Klaus finds out you're still alive….he'll kill you."_

"_And if I'm not there, he's going to kill everyone I love." She reached for his hand, held it between both of hers and placed it over her heart. "Please."_

"_I can't." He whispered, he reached up and cupped her cheek in his palm. "I can't risk losing you." Tears spilled over her lashes. He wiped them away with his thumb. "Elena," He murmured huskily._

_ "Damon, please." And she stepped up on her tiptoes and brushed a kiss over his lips. "Please." He hung his head in defeat, but brought his wrist to his mouth. Her eyes were tired, defeated but she nodded her acceptance. Biting down he offered her the blood that began to pool on his wrist. _

Shaking his head, Damon recalled that moment with a heavy heart. This wasn't what she wanted. She didn't want to go out like this. But he couldn't live without her. Neither could any of the others. She couldn't die. Stefan followed behind Elena pulling a bedraggled and chained Tyler behind him. Klaus' insurance policy no doubt. Stefan kept staring at the ground; he wouldn't make eye contact with any of the girls. Damon would bet money Klaus had discovered Stefan's involvement in part of this. Well there went a potential ally. Four more vampires flanked Klaus and Stefan stood just far enough away to see a threat coming from any direction. This kept getting better and better. Now all they needed was Mikael to flake out and they could have a full on massacre. Damon weighed his options, announce his presence or wait for a big moment to make an appearance.

Not wanting to put Elena at risk any more than she already was, he hissed at Jeremy to stay down and stay out of the fight and walked out into the clearing.

"Damon!" Klaus yelled across the field, though yelling wasn't necessary. His annoying British accent carried quite well across the open space. "So good to see you, mate. I so enjoyed our last encounter. Tell me, how are your kidneys? Your nose appears to be healing quite well." Elena's head lifted, her gaze finding his and he could read the concern emanating from her. Well, she still cared. That was a good sign.

"Enh." Damon spoke, shrugging his shoulders. "I've had worse beatings."

"Nonchalance. I like that in a man."

"I always wondered, Klaus. You do seem to give off that vibe." Damon said with a sneer. Klaus' eyes glowed, but he merely smiled back at Damon.

"Nonsense, Salvatore. My interest lies solely in women, I can assure you. I especially seem to have an affinity for these Petrova doppelgangers." He ran his finger down the side of Elena's face, caressing her cheek. Damon tensed and snarled at Klaus.

"I wouldn't if I were you." Damon said softly, though the venom in his voice was clear.

"Oh, Stefan doesn't mind do ya Stef?" Klaus looked over his shoulder at Stefan. Stefan shrugged. "Don't care a whit for her, wasn't that what you said today Stefan?"

"I don't give a flying fuck what Stefan says," Damon took a threatening step forward. "You keep your hands off of her."

"Oh, that's right!" Klaus snapped his fingers, like it had finally struck a chord. "You always were in love with your brother's girlfriend. Tell me, how's that working out for you?" Klaus took a step back as Damon took another step towards him. "Tsk tsk, mate. I'd be careful if I were you. Stefan's under direct orders to kill your precious Elena should anything happen to me, even a scratch." Klaus winked and skirted Damon neatly to approach Bonnie.

"So my little problem solver, I'm going to completely bypass the fact that you blatantly lied to me about the lovely Elena and move on to brighter topics. What seems to be the answer to the million dollar question?" Klaus asked. Bonnie held her head up high and refused to answer. Klaus began to circle her like a shark that smelled blood. "Aw, don't be mean, love. All I need is one little answer." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, leaned his head towards hers. "Elena has to die to complete the sacrifice, am I right?" Bonnie's face remained impassive, but poor Caroline whimpered. She bit her lip and tears began to spill down her pretty face.

Klaus sighed and gazed at Elena, pursing his lips in an almost pout. "Well, my dear. It seems as though you are the solution to our problem." Still appearing dazed, Elena could only nod. Klaus strolled over to Elena, and Damon nearly pounced. A firm hand gripped his bicep and he couldn't move forward. He turned his head slightly, just enough to not take his eyes off of Elena but to see who he would later need to kill slowly. Katherine.

"Wait." She whispered. He hissed at her and she grimaced but squeezed his bicep. "Just wait."

He began to circle Elena, just like he circled Bonnie, only the light in his eyes was darker. More evil. Damon ripped his arm from Katherine's grip. He stayed where he was, tense and waiting on Klaus to make his move. Damon balled his fists, his nails digging into his palms. "Elena. Lovely Elena." Klaus whispered, coming up behind her. He lifted her hair off of her neck and Damon leaned forward.

"Wait." Katherine commanded. Klaus' eyes lifted to meet Damon's. Klaus smiled. Elena sighed softly, and met Damon's gaze too. There was no fear. Only acceptance. She knew what had to be done. A single tear traced down her cheek and Damon vowed then and there to rip Klaus' body limb from fucking limb if he so much as touched her again. Klaus ran a finger down her neck, over her artery, teasing. Gritting his teeth, Damon stepped forward.

"The witches say Elena has to die." Klaus mused aloud. This was all just a game to him. He wrapped an arm around Elena's waist, his eyes never leaving Damon's. Damon prepared to launch himself the thirty feet distance to tackle Klaus. "The thing is though…." He grinned. "That Original bitch never liked me. Stefan? Bring me my hybrid."

What? Damon's eyes flew to Stefan who dragged Tyler forward. Stefan helped him stand, and Klaus using one sharpened fingernail traced a trail down Elena's neck, drawing blood. She gasped and Bonnie cried out. Caroline was sobbing, for Tyler or Elena Damon wasn't sure which. Tyler, drawn by the scent of the blood moved towards Elena. "Drink Tyler." Klaus commanded and Tyler's eyes darkened. He murmured something that sounded like 'I'm sorry.' He latched onto Elena's neck and began to drink. Damon fell to his knees, the pain of watching her die was unbearable. What could he do? Everything was lost. Any interference on his part would bring hell raining down on the entire group. And if she survived this, Elena would kill him for that. She'd rather sacrifice herself so that the others could live. He hated her for that, her selflessness. So he stayed and agonized as he watched the life drain slowly from the woman he loved. He knew tears were streaming down his face. He didn't care.

Tyler drank like a man dying of thirst, and he was. He was a vampire in transition in desperate need of blood. And Elena was giving it to him in spades. She grew pale quickly and finally collapsed. Tyler was too weak to hold her, and he collapsed with her. Suddenly he drew back, pain distorted his features and Damon leaned forward, ready to pounce and snatch Elena. Klaus moved towards his hybrid, watching his every move. The look on his face was complete fascination. Tyler screamed as his canines began to elongate and Damon remembered that pain vividly. There was nothing like it.

"Yes." Klaus murmured. "Yes!" Stefan looked on in astonishment. Everyone else on the field was frozen, watching the scene before them unfold some in fascination and others in utter horror. "We did it, mate!" Klaus shouted to Stefan, clapping him on the back.

Damon's eyes stayed on Elena, prone at Tyler's feet. He couldn't look at Stefan, didn't want to look anywhere else. That's why he never heard Mikael stroll up. He was too busy focused on Elena. She closed her eyes and Damon nearly threw up. He crawled to her, pulled her up into his arms, and cradled her. He heard her heartbeat. It was slow, but there. He bit down on his arm, puncturing his wrist. Angling her head back so the blood would drip down her throat, he fed her his blood. She had lost so much. A transitioning vampire required a lot. He rubbed two fingers lightly down her throat ensuring that she would swallow. He saw her jaw move, her throat worked as she swallowed and he let out a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. Only then did he lift his head and take in the scene before him.

Mikael stood less than three feet from Klaus. They were both locked in an epic staring contest, one that none of the people observing could guess who would win.

"Mikael."

"Hello, Niklaus." Klaus' vampires had doubled, and they now surrounded the group. Alaric and Jeremy had moved out of the woods, standing on the outskirts of the clearing. Stefan stood on Klaus' right side, Tyler flanking his left. "We can handle this civilly, can't we?"

"We could." Klaus nodded, but then he grinned one of those douchey grins he was so fond of. "Or I could watch my hybrid and vampires tear you limb from limb."

"They can't kill me." Mikael whispered conspiratorially.

Shrugging one shoulder, douchey smile still on his face Klaus laughed. "True. But it'll make one hell of a party game." He brought his hand up, held his thumb, index and middle finger together. "All I have to do is rub these two fingers together and they'll pounce."

"The big bad wolf. Still hiding behind your playthings like a coward. You forget, though. Your hybrid may be sired by you, your vampires loyal to you, but they're all still vampires. And they can be compelled by me."

The grin on Klaus' face dimmed slightly. "I'm not a coward. And I don't need them. I just need to be rid of you." He hissed.

"To what end, Niklaus? So you can live forever, with no one at your side? Nobody cares about you anymore, boy! What do you have other than those whose loyalty you forced?" It was Mikael's turn to smile. "No one." He let that sink in and then repeated. "No one." Klaus' anger was barely restrained. The vampires circling the clan began to move inward. Damon's glance went to Caroline. She looked as clueless as he felt. A slight shrug of her shoulders indicated she had no idea what Mikael was up to. Where was the stake? Why didn't he just kill him already? Why were these stupid Originals always so wordy? Just do what you're going to do and get out! Elena began to stir in his arms and Damon placed his hand over her mouth hoping to avoid her drawing attention to herself.

Katherine glanced over at Damon and winked. What? What the hell was that about? He felt the moment Elena opened her eyes. He placed his finger over his mouth indicating she needed to be quiet. Her eyes conveyed her confusion but she thankfully complied.

"I have someone. I have my hybrid. And I have Rebekah." Klaus hissed at Mikael, crossing his arms like a toddler in the middle of a snit. All they needed was for him to stamp his foot and cry and he could be the poster boy for tantrums everywhere. Mikael laughed.

"Are you sure about that, son?" Klaus' brow furrowed.

"Of course I'm sure. Rebekah will always be loyal to me. As will my new hybrid. I've freed him." He turned to look at Tyler who nodded. Elena indicated her need to stand. Slowly, Damon stood, helping her up, immediately placing her behind him, away from the soon to be fray.

"And what about Elijah? Kol? Finn? Do you have their loyalty as well?" Mikael asked. Klaus growled and advanced on Mikael. A rustling in the bushes caught everyone with supernatural hearing's attention. Klaus paused. They all turned to the edge of the woods to see who or what was approaching. Out of the brush stepped two people, one man and one woman.

The man everyone recognized. The woman was a mystery to more than half of the crowd gathered. The man strolled silently over to Katherine, kissed her cheek in greeting. Damon's jaw dropped. As did Klaus'.

"Hello, sweetheart." He murmured. "Miss me?" Katherine grinned up at him.

"Always, Elijah. You've missed half the fun." She whispered. She placed her hand over his heart, leaned up to kiss him. Damon blinked a couple of times rapidly. Was his eyesight going? Elijah and Katherine? When the hell had that happened?

The woman kept close to Elijah, tears were evident in her eyes. Klaus stepped towards her. Elijah shot out his arm, keeping her behind him and away from Klaus.

"Rebekah." Klaus whispered.

"I'd be careful there, brother. She's been advised of some of your extracurricular activities. She's none too pleased with you right now." Elijah told him with a sneer.

"Your past is catching up with you, Niklaus. Whatever will you do?" Mikael said, nodding a greeting at his son and daughter.

Damon looked over his shoulder at Elena, who was just as confused as he was. What kind of family drama had they gotten mixed up in? Damon opened his mouth to speak, but thought better of it and immediately began edging back over towards his group's side of the confrontation. Keeping Elena firmly behind him every step of the way, Bonnie and Caroline reached out and tucked Elena as discreetly as possible behind the two of them. Damon knew the witch and the young vampire would keep her just as safe as he could. If a fight broke out he needed to be in the middle of it. His brother, while currently a giant pain in his ass was still his brother. And he would protect him with his life as well.

"Rebekah, I can explain." Klaus was pleading, although it sounded very similar to a whine. Hmm, Damon thought. Another toddler symptom.

"I've heard all I need to hear, Nik." She said, "Elijah told me everything. How you killed our mother and then blamed Mikael for it. How Elijah saved you and how you repaid him. We're all expendable to you, aren't we Nik? Aren't we?" She yelled. "How could you? You bastard!" Klaus' face crumbled. Rebekah leapt for him, her hands going straight for his face. She scratched and kicked and Klaus did little to defend himself. Elijah gently pried her off of Klaus and gathered her into his arms.

"I think it's time we put an end to all of this, Niklaus." Mikael told him, reaching into his inner pocket and produced a stake made of the white oak tree. The only weapon that could kill an Original Vampire. Klaus' eyes widened. Damon tensed.

"Where did you get that?" He yelled. "You can't kill me! I'm your son!"

"On the contrary." Mikael murmured. "I can. And you're not." With a nod of his head, Elijah took his cue and leapt forward, snagged Klaus' left arm, while Stefan miraculously grabbed his right. Damon went after Tyler who immediately rushed forward to aid his sire. The vampires on the outer circle stayed where they were. Mikael moved forward quickly. Klaus was strong and Stefan and Elijah wouldn't be able to hold him for too long. He raised his arm, stake in hand and drove it through Klaus' heart.

Klaus' face registered his shock. Stefan and Elijah immediately let go of Klaus' arms. The stake began to smoke and quickly turned to flame. The fire slowly consumed Klaus' body. Sobs could be heard above the noise. Elijah moved to aid Damon with Tyler. Alaric came out of nowhere and injected Tyler with a Vervain dart. He went down immediately. Sobs could be heard above the scuffling and the crackling of the fire. Rebekah had sunk to her knees, her hands covering her face. Once Tyler was confirmed out, Caroline rushed to his side and pulled his head into her lap. Her tears dripped down onto his face.

"He'll be okay." Alaric told her, he crouched down beside her. "We'll take him to the boarding house; lock him up for a while. Figure out how we can fix this." She nodded but didn't look up at him.

Damon stood and looked for Bonnie. He saw her standing in a hug with Jeremy. He immediately began to panic. His eyes scanned the field and he saw Katherine standing with Elena a few yards away. Relief coursed through his veins. He made eye contact with her and she nodded that she was okay. Mikael was still standing over the remains of Klaus' body. The fire was slowly dying out, the ashes dissipating in the light breeze that whispered through the trees.

Damon moved towards Mikael. "Thank you." He told him grimly.

"Sorry I was late." Mikael told him. "I picked up a few strays on the way." He said, nodding his head at Elijah and Rebekah. "And I had a few vampires to compel." The vampires on the outer circle. No wonder they hadn't attacked. Mikael must have compelled them sometime between the fight and the discovery of Klaus' hideout.

"You saved the day, we're eternally grateful." Damon said holding out his hand. Mikael shook his hand firmly and let it drop.

"He was an abomination. He had to be stopped." Mikael said. "That's all there was to it." He turned to walk away. "You'll need to handle the hybrid." He said to Damon. Damon nodded.

"We'll keep an eye on him." Damon confirmed.

"That's not what I mean, Salvatore." Mikael said. "He cannot be allowed to live." Damon's eyes widened, but he nodded again. Mikael walked away. Right now? There were a bunch of other things on his mind. Getting Elena home, making sure she was okay. Locking Tyler up before he became a problem. They had time to deal with that though, just right now? Stefan. He wanted to bring Stefan back to the boarding house too, get him started on detox.

He did a quick head count. Alaric had hoisted Tyler over his shoulder and was carrying him back to the car. Caroline was close on his heels. Bonnie and Jeremy had made their way over to Elena, and were slowly making their way out of the woods too. Katherine and Elijah were helping a still distraught Rebekah to her feet. Klaus' vampires had scattered the moment he was staked. That left one person. Stefan. Where the hell was Stefan? Damon spun in a circle. His brother had disappeared. He was nowhere to be found. Oh, fuck.

**So I debated and debated and debated whether or not to kill Klaus in this chapter, or have Mikael fail like in 'Homecoming'…but bottom line I just really, really wanted to be rid of Klaus! I hope you guys liked it….but now I feel like with most of the Klaus crap out of the way we can really start focusing on relationships!**

** And….I know y'all are super smart, but just in case there is any confusion…the flashback was after Damon received the phone call while in Raleigh to come back to Mystic Falls. He fed her his blood, so it's another reason he didn't fight to the death for her, because he knew that if she died, she'd come back. Okey doke? **

** I will not likely post again before Christmas….but stranger things have happened. If I don't see y'all before then have a Merry Christmas and much love to all my reviewers and followers and favoriters (and yes I know that's not a word!) I was really kind of iffy about this chapter so feel free to reassure me and leave me some love! **


	14. Chapter 14

**So I have a confession to make: this is so not where I saw this fic going when I started it. And I don't have an outline….I have an idea where I want it to go…..but that's about it. I start writing and it ends up where it ends up….so I hope you're enjoying this 'cause I'm flying by the seat of my pants! **

Elena stood behind Caroline, her arms wrapped around her watching as they chained Tyler's ankles and wrists together. They had no idea how Tyler would react once he came out of his Vervain induced coma. Better safe than sorry, Damon said. Caroline sniffled and rubbed her nose with her sleeve. Elena squeezed her tighter.

"Let's go upstairs, Care." Elena whispered. "You'll be more comfortable up there. We'll know when he wakes up." Damon yanked on the chains, ensuring their sturdiness and stood to look at the girls. "C'mon." Elena pleaded. Damon locked the door and pulled on it, ensuring Tyler was locked in the cell.

"I'll stay with him." Alaric assured them, dusting his hands off and pulling up a chair. "You girls have had a long day. Go upstairs and get some rest." Caroline shook her head.

"I'm staying down here too. Elena, you've been through a lot in the last couple of hours. You're the one who needs to go and rest. Go. I'll help Alaric when Tyler comes to." Caroline told her. She turned in Elena's arms and returned the hug. "Go. Get some sleep. I'll be fine." Caroline ran a hand over Elena's hair. "I'm glad you're okay. Love you, Elena." Damon handed Caroline a chair and she took it, plopping down into it and leaning her head back against the wall. She closed her eyes and Damon held out his hand for Elena to take. With a soft sigh, she twined her fingers through his and followed him up the stairs out of the basement.

Everyone was gathered in front of the fire. Bonnie and Jeremy sat close together, surprising Elena. Katherine and Elijah had gone to pick up Matt and bring him to the boarding house. Stefan was still at large, though she had overheard Katherine whisper to Elijah that he was probably long gone. Elena yawned and tried to cover it but everyone looked up at her.

"Go to bed, Elena." Jeremy told her. "No one would blame you. I think we're all going to hang out here tonight anyway." Elena looked at the large grandfather clock in the hallway. It was almost 4 in the morning. Elena nodded and turned to go up the stairs.

"Good night all." She said softly. They all responded with something or other but Elena was too tired to process any of it. She heard soft footsteps on the stairs behind her but she couldn't even muster up a smile. Once she reached the top of the stairs she had a decision to make. Left meant Stefan's room. Or the guest bedroom she had on occasion slept in after Stefan had left. Right meant Damon's bedroom. He stood silently behind her, allowing her to make the final decision. With a soft sigh, she headed left. Sleeping in Damon's bed would just be too much right now.

She stopped at the door to the guest room and pushed it open. Damon followed her in. After shutting the door gently, he padded over to the bed, turned on the bedside light and folded back the covers. "Come on," He whispered, indicating she should get in. She kicked off her sneakers too tired to unlace them or pull them off. She tugged her hoodie over her head, tossed it on a chest in front of the bed and practically fell into the luxurious mattress. The Salvatore's spared no expense in the boarding house on the guest rooms or their own rooms for that matter. Damon chuckled lightly as she snuggled into the covers and sighed. "Do you want me to stay? I'm sure tonight has major nightmare potential."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Thank you, but I'm sure I'll be…" And she was out. Damon pulled the covers up over her, kissed her forehead and whispered 'sweet dreams.'

* * *

Damon checked on the gang in the living room. Bonnie and Jeremy were curled up on one of the longer couches, Bonnie was fast asleep. Jeremy and Matt were talking softly. Hearing voices coming from the basement, Damon headed down there. Katherine, Elijah and Alaric were discussing Tyler. Caroline was out cold.

"He can change at any given time; he no longer requires the full moon to change." Elijah remarked. Alaric shook his head.

"If he bites someone as a wolf, or a particular set of someones, it's a death sentence." Alaric said. "Is that a risk we're willing to take?"

"Mikael said to end him." Damon said, strolling up to the group.

"I'm cool with that." Katherine smiled.

"Yeah, well. You're not the decision maker here, Kitty Kat." Damon sniped. "And since when are you and the turncoat a thing? Didn't think that was worth an honorable mention?" Katherine shrugged.

"I freed him from Klaus." Katherine said wrapping her arm around Elijah's waist. "I always had a thing for him. And he was my backup plan in case Mikael fell through."

"Backup plan for what? Mikael was the only one with the white oak stake!" Damon said.

"Maybe." She whispered coyly, "Maybe not."

Damon's eyes widened. "Really?" He grinned.

"It was none of your concern, Salvatore." Elijah interceded. "You needn't worry about it now. My brother is dead."

"I was there." Damon nodded. "But you never know what kind of mess you Originals are going to create. It wouldn't hurt to have one as insurance."

"I personally plan on escorting Rebekah somewhere far away." Elijah told them. "Once she's settled, Katherine and I shall relocate elsewhere. You shall never hear from my family again."

"Never is a long time for someone of our persuasion, Elijah. Also, I've got a problem with your promises. You haven't exactly been a boy scout in the past." Damon argued.

"Boys!" Alaric yelled. "We're digressing here. Tyler is the problem. Not your egos."

"Just kill him and get it over with. Lord, knows we don't need a mini Klaus running around." Katherine said. She made eye contact with Elijah. "Sorry, honey."

" No offense taken, love." He smiled at her.

"Gross." Damon whispered. "Look, we're going to give the guy a chance. We'll see what he's like in the morning. In the meantime, I need my beauty sleep." Saluting Alaric, he sneered at Katherine and nodded smartly at Elijah. "Good night."

* * *

Damon was stretched out in his bed, hands behind his head staring at the ceiling. He recounted the night's events with astounding clarity, though he wished he didn't. His mind kept replaying Elena falling to the ground, over and over and over. Shutting his eyes didn't help, Bourbon didn't help, and he just had to keep reminding himself that she was in the other room asleep. She was fine. She was safe. He also kept trying to get his brain to remember their kiss, a much better memory and one he definitely wouldn't mind reliving.

Katherine and Elijah had disappeared and Damon didn't particularly care where they went. He was still pissed Katherine had kept him out of the loop. Bonnie, Matt and Jeremy had all finally fallen asleep on the couches in front of the fire. Damon had covered them all with blankets and headed up to his room, where he had lain for the past hour doing everything but resting.

He heard her door swing open, her soft footsteps as she crept down the hall. He held his breath unnecessarily as she stood silently in front of his door. She knocked timidly. He debated briefly, remain in bed and invite her in, or get up and greet her? "Come in." He said gently, not moving an inch. She stepped into his room and shut it softly behind her. She leaned against the door and he sighed. Her hair was tousled, her eyes sleepy and even though she looked exhausted, she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. A fire was lit in his fireplace and though it provided very little light, it was the perfect background glow to see her with. "What's wrong?" He asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"I can't sleep." She whispered, rubbing her eyes. "I'm so tired, but I can't sleep. And when I do, all I see is Klaus. I can't..." Her breath caught and for a second he feared she might cry "I can't close my eyes."

He lifted his comforter and sheets invitingly, scooting over to make room for her. She padded softly over to him and slid in beside him. She tucked her hands under her face and lay on her side facing him. He slid down onto the pillows to do the same. Tears filled her eyes and he smiled gently at her. "Everybody's okay, Elena. We all made it." He whispered.

"Thank you." She said softly. "For everything. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here." He reached out to wipe a tear from her face.

"You're welcome. And I wouldn't be anywhere else." She sighed and closed her eyes. "You know, I can help you forget." He whispered. Her eyes flew open. "At least the parts you don't want to remember."

"No!" She insisted. "No compulsion. I've been compelled enough today." His eyes hardened, remembering the helplessness he had felt. Once Klaus died, the compulsion had worn off but she still would remember everything.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He asked

"Not really. I just..." and she blushed. His brows furrowed in concern.

"What?" He touched her cheek, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Can you just...will you hold me?" Shock must have crossed his face briefly but he masked it well or tried to. He nodded because he wasn't sure if he spoke that his brain would be capable of putting two words together. He lifted his arm and she scooted closer, snuggling into his bare chest. He heard her heartbeat accelerate and he would have smiled if he knew it was because they were so close and not because she was scared of falling asleep. Although he could always hope it was the former. He pulled her closer, his arm around her shoulders and began softly stroking her hair. "Thank you." She whispered again, her lips a breath away from touching his chest. He kissed the top of her head. "I..."

"Shhh," He told her gently, "Just sleep, Elena." He murmured against her hair, he squeezed her in a hug and began to hum his favorite symphony. He saw her eyes flutter closed and after a few minutes her breathing evened out and he closed his eyes and slept too.

* * *

When Caroline woke, she shot up immediately. Tyler was still slumped over in the cell, his hands bound. Alaric must have stepped away to use the bathroom or something. Caroline walked over to the cell and crouched in front of it. "Tyler?" She called softly. "Are you awake?" His head rolled, like he was waking up and Caroline smiled gently. "Tyler?"

His head popped up, he glared at her and then it was like a light clicked on. Recognition flickered in his eyes. "Caroline?" He whispered hoarsely. "What the hell is going on?" He tugged on his chains, they rattled but held. "Why am I chained up?"

"Do you remember what happened?" She asked, wrapping her hands around the bars pressing her face up against them.

"No." He hissed. "Caroline, why am I chained up?" He yanked on the chains again, and again they didn't budge.

"Klaus...he, Tyler he made you into a vampire hybrid. You're a vampire now, Tyler."

Tyler shook his head. "What? That's crazy, I..." His eyes lit up, the yellow they transformed when he was ready to change or angry. And based on his movements, he was very angry. "Let me out." He hissed.

"I can't, Tyler. We don't know what you're capable of...and we can't take the risk of you hurting anybody!" Caroline pleaded, trying to calm him down.

"I wouldn't hurt anybody!" He protested, standing up. He pulled on his restraints, testing them. "I'm still me, Care!"

"I know you are Tyler," she whispered. "But if you accidentally bite a vampire, it's over for us. Klaus is dead, there's no cure anymore!"

"I wouldn't do that!" He yelled, and Caroline could see the anger coursing through his body. The rage contorted his face, and he looked evil, the yellow eyes, veins a bright red on his face from his bloodlust. He shook from his fury, the chains rattling. Tears slipped down her face, and she shook her head.

"We can't be sure yet, Tyler. We're going to figure this out. You won't be in there forever, I promise." She told him. "Please calm down."

"Calm down! Calm down? You've got me locked in here like I'm some sort of animal!" He stood up again and threw his cot across the room. Caroline started sobbing. She heard footfalls in the hallway and she stood, backing up from the bars, her hand covering her mouth to hold in her cries. Tyler rushed the bars of his prison, wrapping his hands around them and pulling. Alaric appeared in the doorway. With a sympathetic look towards Caroline, he lifted his arm. Caroline sobs grew louder as she saw the tranquilizer gun in his hand.

Alaric whispered, "Sorry Tyler." And then he pulled the trigger.

* * *

Damon heard the chains rattling, heard Tyler's conversation with Caroline and groaned. He was entirely too comfortable to get out of bed. Elena was wrapped around him like a vine and if he were to die here and now he would die an extremely happy man, well vampire. He closed his eyes, sighed and then heard the tranq gun. Shit. With an even deeper sigh, he began to extract himself from Elena. It was very painful. He didn't want to wake her, she had slept so peacefully last night and she needed the rest now more than ever. Her biggest nemesis was dead finally. And she deserved to sleep in. His phone lit up with a message from Alaric.

_Get your ass down here. Now._

"I'm coming." He grumbled and with one last look at the sleeping beauty in his bed he slipped out of the door, shutting it gently. He rubbed his hand over his face, and practically skipped down the stairs. Alaric and Caroline were waking up Bonnie and Jeremy and Matt as he waltzed into the room.

"Where's Elena?" Caroline cried, hostile yet weepy. A dangerous combination.

"Whoa there, Blondie." He held up his hands. "She's sleeping." She opened her mouth to protest. He cut her off sharply. "She's going to stay that way. She'll wake when she wakes. End of story."

Caroline huffed and sat next to Bonnie. Alaric poured himself a glass of Bourbon and glanced over at Damon who nodded. Alaric poured another glass. Damon walked by him to grab the glass and stand in front of the fire blazing in the fireplace.

"Alright so boy wonder down there has some anger management issues." Damon stated, sipping his Bourbon.

"Wouldn't you too if you were chained in a basement like an animal?" Caroline quipped. Damon pointed a finger at her.

"Probably." He shrugged. "However, we have no way of knowing if Tyler is ever going to be stable."

"What the hell does that mean?" Caroline squawked. "So you just want to kill him because we don't know if he's a potential threat?"

Damon rolled his head, downed his drink. "No. I don't want to kill him. But Caroline...he's unstable. He's the first and last hybrid. He's not safe. We don't know what he's capable of and until I know we can't take any risks with him." Caroline bit her lip and the rest of the group looked like he had just told them their puppy died. "Look. Let me be frank, Mikael told me to kill him last night." Caroline gasped and every eye in the place was trained on him. "And even though Teen Wolf bit me once, I can't just kill him without determining the threat level first."

Matt scoffed. "Aren't you usually kill first, ask questions later?"

Damon narrowed his eyes. "Typically. But this is one of us...kinda. And while I don't mind being the guy that everybody hates for making the decision no one wanted to make, I'm willing to give him a chance." He pointed his finger at Caroline again. "A very limited, stays in chains, always under observation chance."

"That's cruel!" Bonnie piped up. "How can we give him a chance if we keep him in chains? He'll grow more hostile!"

"He's an instant death sentence to Caroline and me." Damon interjected. "Until we know how he's going to act, he stays in chains. And that's all she wrote, folks!"

"Damon's right guys." Alaric said quietly from his corner. "Tyler is dangerous. He's a new breed, one we know nothing about. Hell, we're not even sure how to kill him." At Caroline's look he added, "If it comes to that."

"Bonnie, if you can get in touch with your witchy connections, maybe they can shed some light on it for us?" Damon asked. Bonnie glared at Damon.

"I've already tried. Hybrids are an abomination. A crime against nature." She said. "Sorry Caroline." She shot a concerned glance at Care. "They wanted Elena to die so that Klaus could not make any hybrids. When he kept her alive, fed Tyler her blood Tyler became a crime against nature too. They're not going to want him to live." Bonnie confirmed.

"Try again." Damon urged her. "There's been too much death in this group to allow more of it simply because we don't know. When Tyler wakes up, we'll try reasoning with him. If that doesn't work, we'll keep him tranqed until we can find out something concrete."

He turned to leave the room when Jeremy asked him. "Where's Stefan?"

"I don't know." Damon said his shoulders slumped in defeat. "He took off last night after Klaus died. I'm sure he's long gone by now. If you'll excuse me, I'm going back to bed." He started trudging up the stairs; his only bright spot was knowing Elena was asleep in his bed. As he reached the top of the stairs he saw his door cracked open. Panic ensued. He hadn't left it open. He was sure he closed it. He flew over to it and pushed it open. His bed was empty. Elena was gone. He hadn't heard anything! No scuffle, hadn't even heard her walking around. All he could hear was the sound of blood rushing through his veins. Calm down, he thought. Check the guest room, check downstairs. Klaus is gone. The threat against her is gone. Everything is fine. He paused for a second and it dawned on him. His panic had completely consumed his brain. The rushing sound he thought he had heard was his shower. His shower was running. Elena was in his shower. His glass walled shower.

He took a deep breath and backed out of the room. Chivalry only went so far. This was Elena. Naked. In his shower. Images he shouldn't be imagining, thoughts he shouldn't be thinking bombarded his brain. He shut the door and headed back downstairs. He needed another drink. Or five.

** A weird place to stop this chapter? Maybe. But I wanted to get this one online and if I added the next part this chapter would end up super duper long! **

**So…I hit 5000 views today….and for a new FanFic writer let's just say I am stoked! Oh! And thank y'all for all your kind reviews! I love getting those emails for all the follows and favorites and reviews! I'll see you guys in a few days! Happy New Year…though maybe I'll see you before then….**

**I love reviews….just sayin'….**


	15. Chapter 15

**Alright….don't get excited! I wasn't going to post this but I just couldn't help myself. These kind of updates don't usually happen so close together…..and this chapter is sort of fluffy. But who doesn't like a little fluff every now and then? Also, it's super long (at least for me) but you guys don't mind, do you? Hope y'all enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it. : )**

Elena dressed quickly, nervous that Damon would pop back in. Should she have showered in the guest bathroom? Probably. But she had always admired Damon's shower and bathtub, and she knew they'd be down chatting for a while. She had been awake when he slipped out of bed, but not really wanting to let him know she was awake she had played possum. She was still slightly embarrassed that she had come to his room last night and practically begged for him to hold her. Awk-ward, she thought. Her cheeks flamed just thinking about it. But it had been some of the best sleep she'd had in a long time. Maybe it was because Klaus was dead, and she didn't need to fear for her life daily anymore or maybe it was just because it was Damon. Cuddling up next to him, having him lull her to sleep with his humming was borderline the sweetest thing he'd ever done for her. Every time she tried to convince herself to keep her distance, he did something that reeled her back in. She sighed and pulled on her boots.

Yesterday had been quite the rollercoaster ride. Her 'talk' with Damon, her stupid Britney Spears outfit Caroline had made her wear, her halfway decent day at school, her 'date' with Damon and all the events that fell in thereafter. Klaus showing up had thrown her for a real loop. She shuddered as she thought back to when she had spun around on the porch to see him barring her escape into the house. Not that being in the house would have been an escape. Matt would have been trapped outside. And Elena would have sacrificed herself to save him. Even if both of them had been inside, Klaus would have found some way to force her out. She had never feared for her life though, just for the lives of the others. And if he had elected to kill her, she had hoped it would be quick. Before they had left Raleigh, Damon had made her drink his blood. That probably had something to do with how calm she felt at the thought of her imminent death.

Surprisingly though, Klaus had only compelled her to listen solely to him, to do as he said. He kindly told her that if she cooperated, he would let Matt into the house and would not bother him. After asking if she had any Vervain on her, he tipped her chin and forced her compliance. She followed him to the car where she was surprised to see Stefan and an unconscious Tyler in the backseat. If Stefan felt anything he gave no indication of it whatsoever. He just stared out the window, his arms crossed almost defiantly. Klaus opened the door for her and she slid in next to Stefan. He didn't say a word to her. After getting in the front seat, Klaus had his vampire lackey drive them to the Falls, and everything from there was pretty much history. When Klaus had mentioned his last encounter with Damon her heart had hurt for him. He had gotten into the car after the fiasco in Chicago moving pretty slowly, but she had never guessed that Klaus had hurt him that bad. Damon was a bad ass and could definitely hold his own with some of the top dogs but to know that he had gone into that bar knowing he would get his ass kicked by an Original? Even if it was for his brother, Elena felt for him. She didn't know why he was so intent on keeping his bad boy image intact. Damon Salvatore was a good man. He'd do anything for his brother, and as she was slowly starting to see, he'd do anything for her, too.

She dropped her hands between her legs and stared out the window. She had debated briefly upon waking this morning about going to school. Glancing at the alarm clock had dispelled that one. It was almost noon. And then she thought of poor Tyler, and poor Caroline and Ric down there guarding Tyler. There was no way she could let her friends go through this alone. Sighing deeply she decided it was time to face the music. She stood and silently glided down the stairs. There were blankets piled on the couches, folded neatly. Damon was a closet neat freak; she had seen the way things were organized in his shower and his bathroom. He wouldn't have left those blankets lying around long.

Hearing voices in the kitchen she headed that way and was surprised to see everyone minus Tyler gathered at the kitchen table. Damon was standing over the stove cooking scrambled eggs, frying bacon and she smelled biscuits. He glanced up when she walked in. "Hey." He murmured, making eye contact. She blushed. Damnit, she had to work on that. Bonnie was eyeing her from the table; Elena could practically feel her boring holes into her back.

"Hey." She said back and slid into a chair in between Bonnie and Matt. Matt smiled at her.

"Sleep okay?" He asked her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders giving her a quick hug. Her cheeks were burned again, but she nodded. Bonnie's eyes were fixed on her and Elena shivered.

"Will you quit staring at me?" Elena hissed. Bonnie raised her chin, a glint in her eye but she turned to talk to Caroline. Caroline was sitting with her hands in her lap, looking extremely distraught. Elena frowned. "How is he?" Caroline glanced up at her.

"Not great. He's angry and doesn't understand why he's chained up." Caroline said hoarsely and Elena could tell she'd been crying. Bonnie rubbed her back and leaned her head on her shoulder. Plates rattled as Damon pulled them from the cabinets.

"Grub's done." He said gruffly. "Serve yourselves." Slowly, some of them pushed their chairs back, made their way to the breakfast bar. Damon had set out a carafe with milk, one with orange juice and one with apple juice. The apple juice was for her, she was the only one who liked apple juice. She smiled to herself. There were plates of fresh fruit, muffins, biscuits, bacon and eggs. He had really gone all out.

"Wow." Jeremy said. "Why doesn't he cook for us more often?"

"Cause that would mean I'd be around you more and I can barely tolerate all of you at once as it is." Damon quipped somewhere from the direction of the library. Alaric laughed, Jeremy frowned and Elena smiled. Bonnie glared at her again. Elena sighed and filled her plate then made her way back to the table.

"What is going on with you two?" Bonnie whispered to Elena once they sat down. Elena turned to say something when Damon popped his head in between them.

"We kissed. Now it's weird." He said with a smirk. Elena jumped at the intrusion. She hadn't even heard him come back in. She huffed then blushed when Bonnie's eyes turned again to her. He had walked back over to the breakfast bar, grabbed a muffin and was heading towards the basement. With a wink at Elena, he disappeared. Leaving her with the fallout. Jerk.

"Um, excuse me." Caroline interjected. "When did this happen?" Apparently Elena's love life was reason enough to rouse Caroline from her stupor. Elena glanced at her brother who looked like he was about to throw up. Matt was clearly uncomfortable and Alaric was packing up his plate to go join Damon down in the basement. He avoided glancing at any of them, obviously embarrassed to be in the room while they were discussing things like this.

Elena stabbed her eggs with her fork. "Last night." She mumbled around scrambled eggs, which were absolutely delicious.

"Last night when?" Caroline almost shrieked. "Before or after we vanquished the big bad wolf?" She asked.

Elena kept her eyes on her plate, really not wanting to discuss this in front of her brother and her ex-boyfriend. "Before. Look, can we maybe..."

"No we cannot maybe." Caroline responded. She looked like she was about to get righteous. Jeremy and Matt grabbed their plates and left as quickly as Damon and Alaric had. This left her alone with Bonnie and Caroline. Awesome.

"Was it good?" Bonnie asked with a grin.

"Bonnie!" Caroline gasped.

Elena smiled and looked over at her best friend. Knowing she was probably about as red as she could possibly be, Elena bit her lip. Caroline shuddered. Bonnie laughed.

"Oh come on, Caroline!" Bonnie said. "You've kissed him too!" Caroline shuddered again.

"God, don't remind me!" Caroline cried. Bonnie began giggling and Elena started to laugh too. "I was also compelled!" She protested.

Elena rolled her eyes at Caroline. "He compelled you to be agreeable to his vampire shenanigans not so you'd kiss him." Elena defended him.

Caroline slapped her hands down on the table. "Has he compelled you?" Elena shook her head, trying not to laugh at Caroline's antics. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"He wouldn't do that to me." Elena said in between gasps of air, losing control of her laughter.

"Whatever. You need to go wash your mouth out with antibacterial soap!" Caroline yelled.

"He's not that bad." Elena giggled. "God, Care. You make him sound like a manwhore!"

"He is!" She cried. Caroline glanced at Bonnie who had tears streaming down her face she was laughing so hard. Then Caroline started laughing, too. After spending a few minutes catching their breath and slowly sobering up Elena blew out a big breath.

"God it felt good to laugh." She said. Caroline and Bonnie nodded. "We haven't done that in far too long." Elena propped her chin in her hands. When all was quiet again, Elena looked at both of them. "He makes me feel like me again." She whispered to them softly. Caroline's eyes softened. Bonnie wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled gently at her.

"The you from last year?" Caroline asked.

Elena shook her head. "No. The me before the accident." She saw the dawning in Caroline's eyes and in Bonnie's. They understood, though she could tell they were slightly shocked. "With Stefan I was content, happy but there was always something missing." Elena picked up her muffin, tore off a small piece. "With Damon, I feel like there's so much more to him than we realize. He's not the person he makes himself out to be. Stefan would blindly allow me to make stupid decisions as long as it was what I wanted. Damon will tell me over and over it's stupid until I realize it's stupid and change my mind." Elena laughed. "He makes me think. He makes me laugh. I…"

"Oh my God." Bonnie whispered. "You're falling in love with him."

"I…." Elena stuttered. "I think maybe I am." She whispered back. She hid her head in her hands.

"It was always there underneath the surface Elena, we all saw it." Caroline whispered. "Stefan ignored it. Damon flirted with it. It's about time you realized it." Elena glanced up at her through her fingers. Caroline shuddered again. "Its just….ugh, it had to be Damon." And Bonnie and Elena started a whole new round of laughter.

* * *

Damon bounced the tennis ball to Alaric who caught it and bounced it back. They were sitting on the floor, backs against the wall sitting opposite from each other. "So how's the doctor lady?" Damon asked catching the ball, putting a spin on it this time. Alaric returned it and smiled.

"She's good." Alaric said quietly.

"That's all you've got to share with your best friend? 'She's good'?" Damon frowned and put a little force behind this throw of the ball.

"How's Elena?" Alaric retorted. Damon smirked.

"Point taken. Although she's your ward of sorts, so it's weird for me to discuss my interest in your pseudo-stepdaughter. And the fact that I'm a century and a half older than her." He had heard the girls shrieking at Elena and then the subsequent laughter. Based on the laughter he had seamlessly tuned them out. Elena could handle herself. He just wanted to make her squirm a bit. And nobody got more riled up when it came to Damon than Caroline. Add to the fact that Bonnie had kept giving the both of them weird looks since last night? Perfect recipe for girl talk. And bonus! It would take Caroline's mind off of Tyler for a while. Damon glanced over at the werewolf hybrid asleep on the floor.

"Something like that." Alaric said rolling his eyes. "Look, I only want what's best for her. If that's you, my friend?" He shrugged. "So be it. I just don't want to see either of you hurt."

Damon rubbed his hand over his heart. "Damn, Ric. That's….that's touching." Ric laughed but instead of bouncing the ball threw it at Damon's head, hard. Damon caught it six inches from his face.

"Ass." Ric said, catching the ball as Damon threw it back and it smacked him in the chest. "I'm glad she's happy." Alaric said. "She smiles more." Damon grinned.

"I'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way, Ric." He said softly. Alaric coughed.

"Jesus. Can we talk about something else? I feel like we should be getting our nails done." Laughing, Damon tossed the ball back at him. "Have you tried contacting your brother?"

Sighing, Damon pulled out his phone. "I did. I texted him earlier. Told him to come home, that I'd do everything in my power to help him."

"Really?" Alaric sat up straighter. "Even with Elena here?"

Damon met his eyes. "He's my brother, Alaric. Bros before hoes and all that." Ric chucked the ball at Damon's head again and Damon barely caught it in time before it smacked him right between the eyes. "Kidding. If he comes back... and that's if. ...and if he so happens to win Elena back….another huge if, mind you. I'd step aside. I won't fight dirty. If she chooses me, I want it to be because she wants to be with me. Not because I played mind games with her."

Alaric chuckled, "You're the biggest softie I've ever met."

Damon threw the ball at Ric's stomach. The air left his lungs with a soft whoosh. "If you ever tell anyone I'll kill you." Damon threatened. Alaric grinned and flashed his eternity ring. "I'll make it painful. And bloody." Ric's laugh could be heard throughout the entire house. Damon glanced at his watch. "Jesus, Saltzman. How much Vervain was in that tranquillizer?"

Ric shrugged. "Enough." He pulled out his phone glanced at the time. "I'd say we have another five to six hours." He threw the ball back at Damon.

Damon sighed. "And I thought all our problems would end with Klaus."

Ric snorted and caught the ball. "I'm beginning to think our problems will never end." He muttered.

* * *

Rebekah sat in front of the fireplace. It was the only place she could seem to feel warm. Elijah had dropped her off in the house she and Klaus had been staying in. He told her he'd be back soon and had left with that doppelganger bitch. The original one. Rebekah had never liked her. She hadn't gotten a good look at the newer one but from what she had seen she was not impressed.

Elijah had said they needed to deal with Klaus' hybrid. Just thinking of Klaus had her tears spilling over again. He had betrayed her. She still had trouble believing it, but the look on his face had confirmed everything. Bloody bastard.

She trudged up the stairs and packed up her things slowly. Elijah had promised to take her somewhere tropical. Somewhere warm. After zipping up her luggage she plopped down on the bed. She was in a good sulk. She needed something to cheer her up. Someone. A hot blooded male sounded good. Maybe she could find a toy, keep him around for a little bit. Elijah might even let her take him with them. When she got bored she could just kill him and find herself a new toy. A native. Feeling perky for the first time since she'd been unstaked by her psychotic brother she skipped down the stairs.

* * *

After their brunch, Elena headed towards the library. Caroline had called her mother and had the Sheriff tell the principal that they had all gotten food poisoning last night. Bad Chinese. She had also collected all of their assignments for them in neat little folders and dropped them off at the boarding house on her way to work. She pulled out her stuff and began to study. The test on Ethan Frome was tomorrow. She had finished it up the other night but she brushed up on her notes, following the study guide Mrs. Johnson had included in her assignment packet.

Half an hour later Caroline and Bonnie drifted in, remarking no progress on Tyler yet. Elena buried her head back in her books and soon enough the boys came dragging in too. Jeremy flopped onto the couch and began to read his history text. Matt started on his Chemistry homework. Bonnie and Caroline were poring over Calculus. Time dragged while they waited for Tyler but they all got their assignments done.

Elena was taking a moment to stretch when Damon popped his head in. "Dinner's ready." He smiled at her and she frowned at him. He raised his eyebrows but disappeared, grin still intact. She was still pissed at him for imparting the news of their kiss on Bonnie and Caroline and the rest of the gang without consulting her first. Just dropped the bomb and left with her to handle it all by herself.

Huffing, she packed up her stuff and left it sitting on the desk where she had been working. The others followed her out of the library to the kitchen loving the smells of marinara and chicken and cheese and garlic. Damon had a huge platter of chicken parmigiana sitting on the breakfast table, a basket filled with fresh Italian bread smeared with garlic butter and a big bowl of salad.

Jeremy's mouth dropped open. "I'm so moving in here." He said as he began to pile his plate high.

"Doubt it, little Gilbert. This is a onetime thing only. You're all going home tonight, too. I want my quiet house back." Damon remarked.

"Aw, come on Damon! This is amazing! You're such a good cook." Jeremy ragged him. Damon rolled his eyes and poured himself a glass of wine. Elena strolled over to the cabinet, grabbed a flute and moved to pour herself some wine too. Damon smacked her hand as she reached for the bottle.

"That's for the grownups, sweetheart." He said with a smirk.

"If you'll recall, you bought me two beers last night. What's the difference now?" Elena said haughtily, crossing her arms.

"You have school tomorrow." He said with a raised eyebrow.

"I would have had school today if Klaus the crazy hadn't shown back up in town." She retorted.

Damon shrugged. "Maybe I've seen the error of my ways," he teased.

"I'll show you the error of your ways." She growled, stepping forward. He held up his hands in mock defense, shaking them like he was terrified. "Gah! You're so infuriating!" She shrieked.

He smiled down at her, his blue eyes bright with humor. "You love it." He whispered and winked. Winked! The gall of the man! And despite her better judgment she couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. And that made her angry. She smacked him in the stomach, knowing it would have no effect whatsoever on him but she did it nonetheless. It made her feel a little better.

She spun around minus her glass of wine and saw everyone in the room had their eyes trained on the spectacle that she and Damon had created. Her cheeks burned and she couldn't look any of them in the eye. Grabbing a plate, she threw some food on it and sat down at the table. Scooping up some of his amazing cooking onto her fork she shoved it into her mouth and grumbled at anyone who tried to initiate a conversation with her. She took deep breaths in between bites, trying to release her frustration and anger with him. He sat down with them this time to eat and though he was sitting at the other end of the table she could feel his eyes on her.

She looked up to glare at him once and the smile on his face was just so...Damon. She had a sudden urge to throw something at him. But apparently neither her hands nor her face would cooperate with her brain and she had to grit her teeth to keep her lips from curling into a smile. Damn him. Damn him and his stupid smile. Damn him and his stupid blue eyes.

She needed to get out of this house; he was starting to consume her thoughts. And damn him, he knew it. She heard his soft chuckle down the table and she just couldn't take it anymore. She startled Bonnie when she banged her fist on the table.

"Homecoming." Elena said. "We're going." She pointed at Caroline and then Bonnie. "Stag." She said loudly. "We're going together. And we're going to buy dresses. And we're going to have fun. And no one is going to stop us." Caroline nodded. Bonnie smiled knowingly but nodded too. Elena glared at Bonnie. Her smile fell. Elena pushed her plate back. "You know what? I'm finished with my work, are you finished with your work? We should go now." Elena glanced down the table at Alaric. "Tyler's out for at least another couple of hours, right?" Alaric nodded and by the look on her face he knew better than to smile at her. Everyone else kept their head down not wanting to make eye contact with a peeved Elena. And that's exactly what she was. Peeved. She stood. "Alright. Let's go girls." She said grabbing her plate and placing it in the sink. Elena strode out of the room without a glance over her shoulder. She knew what she'd see and it would just make her madder. Caroline and Bonnie meekly followed. Bonnie grabbed her keys and they left to go shopping without another word.

* * *

Stefan stepped up to the door. He was tired. Tired of running, tired of everything. He just needed everything to be normal again. And he knew it would be a long time until that happened. His thirst for blood was all consuming. Even now, he could sense the heartbeats and the pulses of those nearby. It was so tempting to shut it all back off and go on a rampage. It would be so easy. Too easy. He shook his head. No, he couldn't do that. He needed to pull himself together.

He raised his hand to knock and held his fist there for a minute. Was he ready for this? Ready for her? Would she welcome him back with open arms? Or reject him? He didn't know if he could take rejection right now. It would send him off the deep end. And that rampage that he feared would be inevitable then. He inhaled sharply, and his nose picked up on some of the scents in the area. The woods were full of animals he used to live off of. He heard a rabbit hopping through the brush off to his left. He should feed. Maybe that would help. He needed to get back on track. But he couldn't do it alone. He had to curb his impulses, learn to deal with it. Maybe one day he could be like Damon. Able to suppress his appetite his urges and drink from humans.

Mustering up his courage he raised his hand again to knock. The door opened before his hand even touched the door. She stood there staring at him, shock written all over her face. He was glad she was here, had hoped she was here. He had wanted to talk to her and no one else. He opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.

"Stefan." She whispered. He smiled sheepishly and dug in his pocket. Pulled out the necklace.

"Here." He cleared his throat, held out his hand. "I wanted to give this back to you." She took it from him and the smile on her face was one he hadn't seen in a long time. He was grateful to be the one who put it there.

"Thank you." She said reverently. He could see the tears in her eyes. He nodded. He turned to walk away and she reached for his hand, caught it with hers. "Please stay."

"I shouldn't." He whispered. He shook his head, he wasn't ready for this. Wasn't ready for her. It was too soon.

He started to back away, and she pulled him to her, hugged him. "Please stay, Stefan." He returned the hug somewhat reluctantly but he couldn't deny how good it felt to hold her again. She leaned back to look at him, smiled. He couldn't bring himself to do the same.

"I..." And she cut him off. Pressed her lips against his. He melted into her, it had been so long. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, running his hands through her hair, pulling her closer. She stepped back, tugging him with her into the house. He reached blindly behind him and shut the door.

"I'm so glad you're here." She whispered. And that was the last either of them said for quite some time.

***Gasp!* Did you like it?...feel free to tell me so by clicking that lovely little button below! (P.S. It says 'Review'!) **

**P.P.S…if you're looking for something amazing and Delena-licious to read try The Story of Us by Beautiful1Disaster. It's rated M and angsty and absolutely superb! (It's also complete and super duper long!) **

**Until next time!...and thanks for reading!**


	16. Chapter 16

**My phone died a terrible death on Saturday so on Sunday I felt so lost without it (and the replacement won't be here until Wednesday! WEDNESDAY! because of the holiday) I spent most of my day working on my laptop on this chapter. =/ Glad you're still with me after the last one! Some of you figured it out…for those that didn't have a little faith….and read on! **

Tyler groaned and pushed himself up into a sitting position. Damon glanced up from his book, Alaric from grading test papers and they both set everything aside.

"Morning, sleeping beauty." Damon greeted him.

"What the hell did you shoot me with, Alaric?" Tyler moaned, holding his head. Damon disappeared for a minute, returned with a blood bag. He tossed it through the bars and it landed at Tyler's feet. Tyler looked at it with a sneer of disgust. "What am I supposed to do with that?" He asked.

"Drink it; dump it out, whatever you want with it. It doesn't really matter to me. But if you don't drink blood soon you'll get weaker and weaker and poor Caroline will have a duck fit." Damon glanced over at Alaric. "And I've had enough of Caroline's fits." Damon said with a grin.

"Let me out." Tyler said, glaring at Damon.

"Don't feel like it. I quite value my life, thanks. And you haven't exactly been anything resembling friendly."

"Maybe because my 'friends' have me chained up in a basement." Tyler sneered.

"I'm sorry about that." Damon said and when Tyler frowned at him, Damon smiled. "Okay, not really. But look wolf boy, you are something we've only dealt with once before. And our track record with your kind isn't so great. So….we're going to take this nice and slow. You cooperate, be on your best behavior and we'll start by removing the chains. Should your good behavior continue, we'll reward

you with something else, maybe I'll take you for a walk around the property." Damon walked up to the bars. "Misbehave though, Tyler? And I'll put you down like the dog you are."

Tyler growled and stood, his eyes glowing yellow and Alaric stepped up to put himself between Damon and the bars. "What he means to say Tyler is that we aren't sure how this new change is going to affect your temper and behavior. For the safety of the group and the town, we can't let you out until we're sure you aren't going to hurt anybody." Alaric said. Tyler's glare softened, his eyes fading back to his regular color. He nodded at Alaric.

"It sucks." He said, sitting back down on his overturned cot.

"I know, man." Alaric nodded. "And we're sorry but it's got to be this way." Tyler sighed in defeat and Alaric turned to look at Damon. "Mind grabbing him a bite to eat?"

Damon stared at Ric as if he had just escaped a mental ward. "Uh, yeah. I do. Little Gilbert!" Damon yelled. "Fix Tyler a plate!" He heard Jeremy grumble, but it was soon followed by stomping in the direction of the kitchen.

"Where's Caroline?" Tyler asked.

"Out shopping with Elena and Bonnie." Alaric told him.

"Really? They're out shopping while I'm locked up in here like an animal?"

"They've been waiting on you all day, wolfie. Waiting gets boring. And Elena's due for some normal. They all are." Damon quipped, plopping back down on his chair. He quickly texted Elena and returned to his book. Jeremy brought a plate down and Alaric handed it to Tyler through the hole in the door. Matt came down with him and they talked about mundane stuff with Tyler while Damon reread Salinger and Alaric started regrading his tests.

* * *

Elena was flipping through the racks, vetoing dress after dress after dress. Caroline had a stack of ones to try on; hanging outside of her dressing room and Bonnie had already picked hers out and was sitting in a chair opposite Caroline's room. Elena's phone buzzed in her pocket and she reached for it, relieved for the distraction.

_ Tyler's awake. And somewhat civil. -D_

Tyler was awake? And behaving? That was excellent news. Forgetting briefly she was irritated with him she texted back.

_ Good. Caroline will be thrilled. –E_

And ready to go, Elena thought. She still hadn't picked out a dress though. Elena flipped through the racks faster, trying to decide on which she like best. There was a really pretty lavender one, and a blue one that was a little more daring than she was used to but equally as gorgeous.

_Hurry back. –D_

Excuse me? Elena huffed and typed a quick reply.

_Bite me. –E_

She hit send before she even realized it, and could've slapped herself in the face. His response was immediate and Elena could feel her cheeks heating up. Always think before you text, Elena. Dammit, why did she always let him rile her up? She held her breath and glanced at his newest message.

_Tempting, sweetheart. Very tempting. But you're not ready for that. –D_

He was unbelievable, but just thinking about it made her blood heat. And not in a bad way. She chose not to respond, and snagged the dresses walking swiftly to the dressing room. As she pulled her shirt over her head, her phone buzzed again. Damn him, she thought but opened the text anyway.

_Buy something blue. You look beautiful in blue. __ –D _

All the fight just drained out of her. He was such a pain in the ass. And then he reminded her how sweet he could be. He was getting harder and harder to resist. Elena tried on the purple one just for spite. She exited the dressing room and Caroline and Bonnie both 'oohed' and 'ahhed. ' Elena twirled, enjoying the pleated skirt and the fitted waistline. She really liked this one.

"It's between this one or the next one." Elena said. "Damon just texted to let me know Tyler's awake." Caroline's eyes lit up.

"That's great. Hurry up and try on the next one. I've decided on this white one!" She held up her bag with her purchase and shooed Elena back into the dressing room. Unzipping the purple one, she quickly hung it back up on the hanger and slipped the blue one on. It fit so well. The bodice was accent beaded, and a three inch ribbon wrapped around the upper bodice and looped over one shoulder. The back was open. It was gorgeous. And looked divine on her. Elena opened the door and Caroline's jaw dropped.

"That one." She whispered. "Elena, it's amazing!" Bonnie nodded her agreement with Caroline's statement.

"Wow, Elena." Bonnie said. "Damon's not going to able to keep his hands off of you."

Elena glared at Bonnie. "Oh what? You don't think he's going to be there?"

"He's probably already badgered Alaric into adding him as a chaperone." Caroline admitted. "Face it. Damon Salvatore is going to be at Homecoming. And any guy that approaches you in that dress might as well sign his own death warrant." She laughed.

Elena spun back around marched into the dressing room. "I'm buying the purple!"

Bonnie began laughing. "Elena, you can't. You have to buy this dress. The look on Damon's face alone when he sees you in it will be priceless." Elena dressed quickly, and stared at both dresses on their hangers. She really liked the purple. But she loved the blue. She wanted to get the purple just to spite Damon, but could she really pass up an opportunity to wear the blue dress?

* * *

They returned to the boarding house in record time. Caroline was out of the car before Bonnie even put it in park. Leaving their dresses in the car, seeing as Damon was kicking them all out tonight it wasn't worth it to drag them all in the house. Elena exited the car as Bonnie did and they strolled casually up to the house. Heading towards the basement, Bonnie followed Elena and they made their way down the stairs. Elena could hear Matt and Tyler discuss the homecoming game and Elena frowned. Tyler would miss it. Poor Ty.

Damon was still reading, Alaric was still grading papers and Matt and Jeremy were sitting in front of the cage on the floor just talking to Tyler while he ate. When he saw Caroline his face lit up. "Tyler!" She squealed, rushing the bars and reaching out her hand. He set his plate aside, walked slowly to the bars. She wrapped her hands around his. "I'm so glad you're okay." She whispered.

He bent his head so they were almost eye level. "I don't know if okay is the most accurate word, but I'm alive." He looked past her at Damon and made eye contact. "And I plan on staying that way."

Damon opened his mouth to respond.

"Pity." Said a familiar voice. They all turned towards the door to see Katherine and Elijah walk in.

"Ugh." Damon grunted. "Look what the Original dragged in." Katherine sauntered over to Tyler, sneered over her shoulder at Damon. Elijah inclined his head at Elena in greeting. Elena gave him a small smile. He had redeemed himself. With all of them. He was the reason they had begun the search for Mikael. Damon frowned at her, seeing her smile at Elijah.

"Tyler, Tyler, Tyler." Katherine said in a sing song voice. She flitted her eyes off to the side at Caroline. "Caroline." She greeted her. Caroline curled her lip in disgust. "You appear in good spirits." Katherine spoke to Tyler.

"For being locked up, yeah." Tyler was looking at Katherine like he couldn't trust her. And he couldn't. None of them could.

"I can help with that." She whispered seductively.

"I don't need your help." Tyler hissed at her.

"Pity."

"You said that already." Damon said in a bored tone. He was looking at the dirt underneath his fingernails. Katherine grinned.

"We came to say our goodbyes and see if there had been any developments on the….situation." Elijah said still at the entrance to the room.

"The 'situation' is the same." Damon replied. "He stays in there until he's trustworthy."

"You're playing a dangerous game, Salvatore." Katherine said still staring at Tyler. "Just kill him and get it over with. They'll forgive you." Katherine turned her head towards Caroline. "Most of them, anyway." Caroline tensed, wanting to pounce. The elder vampire was too much for her to take on, plus the Original in the room had seemed to develop a thing for her and that was just too much of a mess to handle.

"Dangerous is the only way I play, Kat." Damon said with a smirk.

"Sad I won't be around to see it." Kat turned around. "The end, I mean."

"We're not." He paused. "Sad, I mean."

She smiled at him. "I could go back and forth with you all day, lover." Katherine whispered seductively. "But I've got a plane to catch." She turned her smile on all of them. "Hope you all survive the day your new pet gets off his leash. Though it'll serve you right if you don't." She wiggled her fingers at them.

"Katherine." Elijah said in a warning tone. "He's their problem. Let's leave them to it." With a slight pout, she weaved in and out of their ranks and exited the room. Her steps could be heard on the stairs. Elijah looked one last time at Elena. "Be careful." He said and he was speaking solely to her. "He's more dangerous than you realize." She stared at him, not sure how to react or what to say. Damon stood, rising from his chair. Before she could open her mouth to reply Elijah was gone. They all stared at the spot he had occupied, dazed and a little bit confused.

* * *

Closing her eyes, Elena curled into her pillow. Her brain was going ninety miles an hour. She had quickly packed up her things, avoiding contact with Damon at all costs. He had stayed down with Tyler while everyone gathered their stuff. Damon was booting them all out. Caroline had pleaded to stay and Damon had shaken his head. She could come back in the morning, he'd said.

They had all squeezed into Bonnie's car, dropping off Matt first, then Caroline and lastly Jeremy and Elena. Promising to see Elena at school tomorrow and with a sad look at Jeremy, Bonnie backed out of the driveway. Elena had carried her dress straight up to her room, hanging it on the back of her closet door. Jeremy had turned on the Xbox the second he walked in the door and Elena shook her head as she grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Alaric had elected to stay with Damon for a while, promising to be back sometime before midnight.

Sighing, Elena gave up on sleep and looked over at the clock. It was only a little after ten. Damon hadn't said anything to her before she left, and she hadn't sought him out either. She found herself continuously looking at her phone. She tried to convince herself she was waiting for Bonnie to text her that she was home. She failed miserably. She was waiting for Damon to text her. Sighing, she pulled her notes from her bookbag next to the bed and began reading over them. After about thirty minutes she was exhausted but she didn't want to go to sleep. Didn't think she could.

Frustrated and overtired, she sat up in her bed and traded her pajama shorts for jeans. Grabbing her keys she walked down the stairs. She snagged her hoodie hanging over the rail. The living room was dark; apparently Jeremy had finally called it quits and gone to bed. She wasn't going to bother him, so she opened the door and stopped dead in her tracks. Her heart beat accelerated. He stood on the other side of her door, hand raised to knock. She was glad he was here. And since when did he knock? He looked shocked that she had answered, and a little bit sheepish.

She whispered his name.

* * *

"Rebekah!" Elijah yelled. "Time to go, love." Rebekah sat up, rubbed her eyes. The warmth from the body beside her was comforting. Shit, she thought. Time to go. She pushed on his shoulder. He didn't budge. She got out of bed, unabashed at her nakedness. She looked back at the sleeping form and smiled. She had found her boy toy to take with her to the tropics.

"Give me a minute, 'Lijah!" She said. There was no need to yell. He'd hear her throughout the house regardless. She poured herself into a pair of skinny jeans and yanked on a breezy top. She didn't quite understand the whole fad with the skinny jeans but everywhere she turned that's what the girls had on. And Rebekah always kept up with the latest fashion trends. Walking back over to the bed, she pushed on his shoulder again. Geez, she hadn't been that demanding. They'd only gone three rounds.

Lifting her bags, she walked them to the stairs. "Catch." She said to Elijah and tossed them over the railing. Elijah caught them with one hand and set them by the door.

"Hurry up, love." Elijah told her. "I'm eager to leave this dreary town. Mikael hasn't been seen since last night." Rebekah nodded and marched back into her room.

"Alright get up. You're coming with me. Get up!" She yelled. He lifted his head off of the pillow and glared at her.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said with a slight attitude. "I need to stay here." She drifted over to the bed, squatted down so she was at eye level. Her eyes met his.

"You're coming with me." She whispered. "Please? It'll be so much more fun if you're there." He nodded and stood. The sheets fell and she admired his naked form with lots of feminine appreciation. He was an amazing lover and she would keep him forever. Maybe. Until she got bored. She turned and headed down the stairs. "Hurry up, sweetheart. We've got to be going." She called over her shoulder.

Elijah frowned at her. "Who is that?" He asked. "No human pets, love." He scolded her, carrying her bags to the car. "We're not dragging some Mystic Falls native to the tropics. I'm not causing any more problems in this town."

Rebekah smiled as she heard him trudge down the stairs. "Oh, we won't cause any problems." She remarked. Elijah's eyes lifted to the man on the stairs and the look on his face was priceless. She patted her brother's shoulder and started towards the car where her brother's bitch was waiting. Rebekah sneered at Katherine and Katherine returned the gesture. Elijah stood at the door, still a bit shocked, she gathered. She touched her necklace, loving the weight of it against her chest, beyond pleased to have it back. "Come along, Stefan." Rebekah called. "We mustn't keep dear Katherine waiting."

* * *

Damon smiled at her then frowned. "Where the hell were you planning on going this late at night?" He growled. She crossed her arms, defiant.

"What's it to you?" She asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "It seems to be my mission in life to keep you out of trouble. I'm failing miserably at it." He remarked.

Elena smiled reluctantly. "Why are you here?"

"I believe I asked you a question first." He bantered back.

Rolling her eyes, she dangled her keys. "I was going for a drive."

"Liar." He whispered.

"I was." She insisted.

"And where were you going on your drive?" He smiled.

"Nope. I answered your question, you answer mine." It was his turn to cross his arms, but his smile never faded.

"I wanted to tell you goodnight."

Her heart picked up a little. She smiled. "You came over to tell me goodnight?" He nodded. She shook her head at him. "You could've called. Or texted."

"I could have, yes." He nodded, and her smile dimmed a bit. He tipped her chin with his finger, smiled when he heard her heart begin to pound. "But then I couldn't have done this." He brushed his lips against hers softly, moved his hand to cup her neck. She stepped over the threshold, placing one hand to steady herself on his chest, pushing his ever present leather jacket aside. Her other hand lifted to slide through the soft hair at the back of his neck. He smiled against her lips and looped his finger through one of her belt loops pulling her closer. She made a soft, encouraging sound and he groaned.

Angling his head he deepened the kiss and ran his tongue along her bottom lip, nipped it with his teeth. She stood on her toes, hooked her arm around his neck, and pressed her body closer to his. Jesus, she was trying to kill him. He backed her up against the door jamb and began trailing kisses across her jaw line, down her neck. She angled her neck giving him better access and his brain short circuited. He slowed, returning to her lips. He turned the kiss from one of passion and lust to one that was sweet and loving. Pressing soft and slow kisses against her lips, he pulled away gradually. Her eyes were closed, her breathing ragged and he would have killed to carry her upstairs and finish what he started. And he was ninety percent sure she would let him. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, caressed her cheek.

She sighed and he couldn't help the smile that graced his face. Opening her eyes, she stared into his and to his surprise she smiled softly too. "Good night, Elena." He said. Slowly disentangling himself from her he turned away and walked down the stairs.

He glanced over his shoulder; saw the disbelief on her face. Good. That would keep her on her toes. "You're leaving?" She asked incredulously.

He chuckled lightly. "Where were you going on your drive?" He asked, backing away.

The corner of her mouth lifted in smirk. "To see you." Her fingers lifted to her swollen lips.

"Yeah?" He asked, grinning. "I thought you were mad at me."

"Yeah." She blushed. "I am. I wanted to say goodnight though." She whispered. "So good night."

"Good night, sweetheart." And he disappeared into the night.

**See? No need to fear. Delena will prevail! **** Happy New Year y'all! May 2013 be so much better than 2012! Next up? Homecoming! Are you ready? And don't worry I'm already hard at work on the next chapter! I'd love to hear your thoughts! **


	17. Chapter 17

**This first part w/ Tyler….was originally supposed to go in Chapter 16 but I goofed and posted the chapter before adding this part. Rookie mistake. =(**

**Also…I got stuck in this chapter. Like frustrated didn't know where it was going, didn't want to finish it frustrated. I actually had to take a step back and outline, put down on paper things I wanted to happen and whatnot. And there wasn't much reaction to the last chapter so I wasn't sure if it was well received or not. =/ So I sat in my bedroom and listened to Near to you by A Fine Frenzy (my inspiration for this fic) over and over and over (I'm pretty sure my husband contemplated having me committed) and while this still feels rough to me I've made you guys wait long enough. Here's 17. **

Tyler was restless. He had nothing to do but sit there. And wait. And think. His thoughts were somewhat erratic. Damon had left an hour ago and Alaric was passed out in his chair. He tugged on his chains again, testing their strength. It sucked he was in here. It wasn't his fault Klaus had turned him into a hybrid. If they would've just let Klaus go, Tyler could've gone with him and they wouldn't have had to worry about either of them ever again. Although, apparently it had been Elena's blood that was the key to the hybrids. They would have needed Elena to make more.

Elena wouldn't have minded though. Stefan would have been with them too. She would've come along willingly. Damon might've minded. He was expendable though and not a part of Klaus' group. So Klaus would've just killed him to avoid the bother. Or had Tyler do it, explore his newfound abilities.

Sighing Tyler leaned back against the wall. He had turned his cot back over, and was sitting on it. It was surprisingly comfortable for a prison cell cot.

He was going to miss Homecoming. That pissed him off. He had been looking forward to the Homecoming game for a while. And the dance. Caroline had been itching for him to ask her. And he had planned on it...eventually. But eventually never came. And now she was going without him. All because Damon didn't trust him. He wouldn't hurt Caroline. Would never hurt Caroline. Damon was another story.

Tyler smiled just thinking about it. The things he would do to Damon, the torture he could inflict. Damon had always been a first class douche. And he had slept with Caroline. That had Tyler seeing red. He grit his teeth, feeling his canines grow and sharpen. Shit, maybe he was volatile. He flopped back onto his cot, threw his arm over his face and tried to close his eyes. Right before he closed his eyes, he saw it.

Hope bloomed in his chest, he started to smile. Immediately he looked at Ric. Still sleeping. Good. Tyler sat up, turned his back so it was facing Ric and began to play with it. A link in the chains was rusted. Tyler lengthened one of his nails into a sharpened claw. Using it as a file he began to scrape at the rust, weakening the chain. He smiled. It was only a matter of time.

* * *

Dawn came super early, but Elena woke with a smile on her face. She pushed the covers back and stretched. Skipping down the stairs, Elena grinned at Alaric who was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a cup of coffee looking more asleep than awake.

"Good morning." She said happily, grabbing a mug to pour some coffee in.

"You're uber cheerful for five in the morning." He said, looking up briefly.

She shrugged, downed her coffee and headed back up the stairs. "Will you be ready in ten?" she asked. He grunted something but Elena took it as an affirmative. She quickly slipped into jogging pants, sports bra and a tank top. Tying her tennis shoes she glanced at her phone. The light was blinking indicating a message. Who on Earth was texting her this early? She grabbed it, drew the pattern to unlock it and opened the message_. _

_ Have a nice normal day at school. I'll see you after. -D_

She grinned and tossed it back onto the bed, skipping down the stairs again. "Let's go, old man!" Elena goaded him. Alaric came around the corner, looking grumpy but awake. She poked him in the stomach, trying to prod him out the door. He swatted at her hand. "Try and keep up!" She teased, stretching on the porch. He stretched for a minute and then took off.

"What were you saying?" He asked forty five minutes later as she crawled back up the porch steps. She flipped to lie on her back and beamed at the awning.

"You do okay for an old man." She panted. He laughed and nudged her with his foot. "Man, Ric. I feel so much better."

He smiled down at her, hands on his hips. "Good. We'll do weights after school?" She groaned and sat up.

"Sure."

"You know, now that Klaus is gone, you don't have to do this." He told her. He sat down on one of the rockers.

"I know." She whispered. She turned her head to look at him. "But seeing as how my shadow is a vampire, my best friend is a vampire, my other best friend a witch and my parent slash guardian slash whatever you are is a vampire hunter I'm pretty sure some basic self defense moves will come in handy sooner or later." His smile was sad and he stood up, patted her shoulder.

"I've got to hop in the shower." He told her. "Get ready for school." He walked into the house and Elena sat there cooling off for a few more minutes. Her outlook on life was vastly improving. She had begun to toe the line with Damon. Dipping her toes in the water so to speak and if she was being completely honest with herself, the temperature was delicious. And she was fully prepared to dive in.

The kiss last night had been...breathtaking. She sighed and brought her fingers to her lips again, remembering the sweetness. The fireball of heat that he had stoked in her stomach and lower was anything but sweet, though. And it had definitely affected him too. Their bodies had been so close together there was no mistaking how affected he was. And she had felt the tremble in his hands when he had touched her cheek afterwards. The thought made her smile, that she affected him just as much as he seemed to affect her.

Pushing off the porch she winced at the tightness of the muscle in her calves. It was a good tightness though, a good burn. She made her way slowly up the stairs and hopped into the shower. After a quick blow dry and a light dusting of makeup, Elena dressed in school colors. Today was school spirit day. Caroline didn't have to plan her outfit today. Skipping down the stairs, she poured another cup of coffee, grabbed a banana and yelled for Jeremy. Hearing his footsteps come thumping down the stairs she walked out the door. She started up the car, and waited. He came out slowly, shielding his eyes from the early morning sun. Apparently he had just rolled out of bed and down the stairs. She grinned at him as he got in the car.

"Why the hell are you so chipper?" He mumbled. Her smile widened.

"It's Friday, it's homecoming. Klaus is dead! Go Timberwolves!" She cheered. Jeremy rolled his eyes and slumped against the window.

"Whatever. Freak." He muttered. "Wake me when we get there." She laughed. Yes, today was going to be a nice, normal day.

* * *

Damon stretched luxuriously in his big comfortable bed. Turning over onto his side he inhaled the delicious scents on the pillow next to him. It still smelled like her. He grinned to himself and hearing Tyler mutter in frustration two floors below he groaned and sat up. He showered quickly, thinking unhealthy, naughty thoughts about things he shouldn't be thinking regarding Elena. However, having her sleep in his bed, shower in his shower opened up a whole world of dirty thoughts. And when you added in that kiss last night? Man, stop it. Think gross thoughts, he chanted, think gross thoughts. Katherine and Elijah. Gag. Stefan eating bunnies. Vomit.

That was better. He took his time dressing, Tyler could wait. Smiling he headed downstairs and grabbed leftover muffins and fruit. Tyler could eat that. He wasn't cooking for him. Heading down to the basement he snagged a blood bag from the cooler too. As he rounded the corner, Tyler sat perfectly still watching Damon with weary eyes.

"Morning, Wolfie." He said. He slid the goodies through the slot in the door. Tyler didn't respond. Damon had set up a tv down there so at least watch tv. He had left it on ABC though. Daytime television was good for the soul. Damon smiled.

"Warden." Tyler replied. Damon smirked. "What lies have you spewed to my mother?"

Damon shook his head. "She knows you're here. She'll probably be by to check on you sometime today. The key stays with me, though. And I'll probably be gone most of today." Damon tossed a cell phone through the bars. "This dials me. And only me. So don't get any ideas." He said. "If you're a good little dog, maybe when I come back I'll let you have the remote. Oh, and I've seen this one already. It's not Jim's baby." Tyler growled and Damon grinned. "Later, wolf boy."

Leaping up the stairs, he answered the door before the mailman could even knock. It scared the daylights out of him. "Morning Mr. Salvatore." Fred muttered. His gnarled old hands shook a little as he handed him the mail, from old age or fear Damon wasn't sure.

"Morning, Fred." Damon said with a smile. "Have a good one." The old man turned away got back into his truck. Damon was pleased to see his packages had arrived. Snagging his leather jacket and his keys Damon locked up the house and left.

* * *

"You're all coming to the game, right?" Matt asked her as they left the gym. She nodded.

"Yep. Caroline's making me tape it for Tyler, so he can see it." Elena told him.

"Have you talked to Damon? How is he today?"

"No I haven't talked to Damon, but I'm sure he's fine." Elena frowned at him. "Why?"

Matt chuckled, "I meant how is _Tyler?_"

Elena laughed. "Oh. I don't know." Her phone buzzed and she glanced down at it. They stopped at her locker. Matt ruffled her hair and kept walking saying he'd see her at the game.

_Have something for you. My house in an hour? -D_

Elena frowned and texted him back.

_Can't. Working out with Ric. Meet me at the game? -E_

Shoving her books in her locker, she slammed it shut. Her phone rang. She answered it immediately. "Working out with Ric?" He asked. "That isn't some weird euphemism for sex is it? Cause that would be…..." Damon shuddered audibly. Elena laughed.

"No. Working out actually means working out. Weight lifting. Light kick boxing. We already did our run this morning." She said, holding her phone between her shoulder and ear as she dug for her car keys. She had already changed into gym shorts and a tank top. Someone waved at her and she waved back.

"When did that start?" He asked.

"Earlier this week. I'm taking back control of my life. Ric's helping."

Damon laughed. "You asked Ric for help? I'm slightly insulted."

"Don't be. I'm pretty sure I was mad at you at the time." She told him.

"You're mad at me an awful lot." He laughed.

"Yep. Ric's a vampire hunter." She defended herself. "And he's got his own equipment. And we have sort of the same schedule."

"I'm a vampire." He countered. "And I can think of more fun ways to work out." She could just picture him waggling his eyebrows.

"I bet you could."

"I'm available whenever." He said. "I'm also surprisingly limber." Elena rolled her eyes. It was probably best that she changed the subject. And soon.

"So what have you got for me?" She asked, starting up the car.

"A surprise. And believe it or not, I'm not really feeling the homecoming game. You go have fun and I'll meet you at your house afterwards?"

"A surprise?" Elena was very cautious. "What kind of surprise?"

"Jesus, Gilbert. I'll meet you at your house after the game. You'll find out then."

'What about Tyler?" She asked. "Shouldn't someone be staying with him?"

"No worries, he's house broken. Come to think of it, maybe I should lay down some puppy pads though. He's chained up, he's got a tv and a cell that only calls me if there's an emergency. He'll be fine by himself. Okay?"

"I guess." After hanging up, she headed to Ric's apartment. He was already bench pressing when she got there. She did a few stretches and started using some dumbbells. They worked out in silence for a while before Elena spoke up.

"What's your take on this whole Tyler thing? Is he ever going to be safe?" She asked.

Ric sighed, dropped the bar back in place, sat up and wiped the sweat off of his brow with a towel. He motioned for Elena to take his place and removed some of the weights. "Honestly? No. I don't think he's going to ever be safe. I think it's only a matter of time before he hurts someone." Elena soaked that in and began counting reps.

"So how do you think we should handle it?" She grunted as she counted off fifteen. She hooked the bar and rested.

"I'm not sure. It's Tyler." He said, motioning for her to begin again. "But when it comes down to it, it'll be Damon that takes care of it." Her breathing was heavy, her inhales and exhales measured. Resting, she sat up. She looked up at him and the expression on his face was pure agony. "I just don't see it how it's going to work out."

"Caroline." Elena breathed.

"Yeah. And Mayor Lockwood. It's not going to be pretty." Alaric mused, lifting the bar to hand back to her. "I don't envy Damon." Elena shook her head, beyond miserable for Caroline, and poor Tyler. It wasn't his fault he'd been turned. Finished with those, Elena sat up again. They moved on to shadowboxing and Alaric kept fussing at her for not keeping her head in the workout. But all she could think about was poor Tyler. Before she knew it, it was game time. Alaric headed home, and Elena borrowed Ric's shower to get ready for the game.

Caroline was already on the field when Elena got there, though you could tell that the pep in her step wasn't there like it usually was. She wasn't as cheery. Elena caught Matt's eye and waved. He returned the wave and pointed in the direction of the stands where she could find Bonnie. Smiling gratefully, she headed that way. Bonnie sat with Jeremy though there was noticeable distance between the two. Elena sat down on the other side of Bonnie, leaned forward to smile at Jeremy.

"Thought you weren't coming." She said to Jeremy. He shrugged, and then looked under his lashes at Bonnie. Oh. Elena nodded. They were getting ready for the coin toss and Elena dug into Bonnie's popcorn. "Did you learn anything today?" Elena asked Bonnie. An innocuous question to those listening in, but to members of their little clique it meant so much more.

Bonnie shook her head. "All they'll tell me, all they keep saying is 'Abomination. He must be stopped.' In Latin. It's quite annoying." She said. Jeremy snatched the video camera from Elena's bag.

"You two talk." He said. "I'm sure Tyler won't want to hear your commentary." And he moved away to tape the game. Bonnie watched him go with a sad look on her face. Elena threw her arm around her shoulders.

"Want to talk about it?" She asked Bonnie, snagging more popcorn.

"Not really." Sighing, she launched into it anyways. "I don't know how to stop it. It bothers me he see Anna. And he doesn't think there's anything wrong with it."

"Maybe there's a purpose for it." Elena said then held up her hands when Bonnie glared. "I'm just saying. It helped us find Mikael. Maybe she'll be of some help in the future." Elena shrugged. Bonnie turned her attention back to the field, clapped half-heartedly as Matt ran onto the field.

"Yeah. Maybe."

* * *

Carol Lockwood's heels clicked down the basement stairs. It woke Tyler instantly. He had fallen asleep to some boring woman drone on about how her previous boyfriend had beaten her and blah blah blah. He'd strangle Damon the next time he got his hands on him. And he really hoped it was soon. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes Tyler called out. "Mom?"

Her answer was a breathed sigh of relief. "Tyler." He stood and walked up to the bars, his chains rattling. She bit her lip, unhappy to see her only child in chains. "Damon said the chains are necessary." She said, reaching through the bars to touch one of the cuffs on his wrist. Tyler made a face. Carol frowned. "Is he treating you okay? How did this happen?" She asked.

"Klaus nabbed me at practice. Knocked me out cold. Next thing I know I'm turning into a vampire." He rolled his eyes. "Apparently I'm dangerous." Carol's eyes widened. "As for treating me okay? I'm locked up in a basement, mom. In chains." Tyler wiggled the chains dramatically and she bit her lip again.

"I'm so sorry, Tyler. Do you think he'd let you out, let you stay with me?" Tyler arched an eyebrow. He loved him mom, but brilliance was not her strongpoint.

"Not likely. At the very least they'd make me move far away. But apparently even then they don't trust me. Klaus didn't exactly set a good precedent." He muttered, moving to sit down. Carol remained standing at the gate.

"Well, maybe if I talk to Damon…"

"Mom. I appreciate it. You're not going to change Damon's mind."

"But honey, you can't stay locked up in here forever!" She protested, running a perfectly manicured hand through her perfectly coiffed hair.

"I don't plan on it." Tyler told her with a devilish grin. "And when I do leave, I won't be coming back. But not before I exact some revenge."

Carol frowned, shaking her head. "Tyler, honey. You can't do that. Revenge isn't the answer. What about me? What about Caroline?" She begged, grasping the bars of his prison tight.

Rolling his eyes again Tyler stared at his mother, caught her eyes. "You're not going to tell anybody anything. I'm fine. I'll be fine when I leave. You'll be fine when I leave. Okay?" She nodded at him absently. She blinked.

"Okay sweetheart." She murmured. She reached for his hand squeezed it reassuringly. Tyler grinned. That compulsion thing was amazing. He could definitely get used to it.

* * *

Stefan kept staring at Katherine. Katherine was reveling in it. Elijah was perturbed by it. And Rebekah was peeved. The soft ocean breeze caused the curtains to flutter. Katherine sighed deeply and winked at Elijah. Elijah rolled his eyes and sipped his drink. Rebekah pouted.

"So Stefan," Katherine mused, leaning forward on the table chin in hand. She smiled deviously. "Surprising that you're here with us right now and not with your beloved doppelganger." Elijah made a sound low in his throat, a warning. Katherine placed her hand on his thigh. Rebekah narrowed his eyes. Stefan shook his head as if confused and trying to clear it.

"Rebekah asked me to come." Stefan said simply. Rebekah smiled at him, covered his hand with hers. He turned to look at her.

Katherine cleared her throat. "Asked or told?"

"Katherine." Elijah said in a low voice.

"Oh, come on honey." Katherine laughed. "It's just a simple question."

Rebekah curled her lip at Katherine. "The newest doppelganger is boring. Quite plain if you ask me. I never understood the fascination with them."

Katherine just smiled. "And yet Stefan has loved two of them. Fascinating? No, sweetheart what's interesting is his fascination with you." Elijah stood abruptly and held up his arm to keep Rebekah from leaping over the table at Katherine. Rebekah sneered.

"Cease, Katherine." Elijah hissed. Katherine frowned but winked at him.

"I love her." Stefan said softly. Rebekah and Katherine both turned to stare at him. Rebekah smiled at him, cupped his cheek. Katherine's jaw dropped.

"I love you too, Stefan." Rebekah whispered. "Ignore the doppelganger bitch. She's just jealous." Stefan shook his head. Rebekah looked into his eyes. "You're happy here with me, right?" Stefan smiled at her.

"Of course." Nobody at the table believed him.

* * *

Elena walked in the door, just plain exhausted. Throwing her hoodie over the railing, she unzipped her boots and left them by the front door. She headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, intent on dragging herself up the stairs to luxuriate in a hot bubble bath and soothe her sore muscles. Entering the kitchen she stopped dead in her tracks. Sitting at the kitchen table, laptop open and papers, flyers and brochures scattered all over the place was Damon. She had completely forgotten he was coming over.

"Hey." He greeted her, barely lifting his head from the screen. He just continued typing. She gestured at the kitchen table.

"What the hell happened here?" She asked, opening the refrigerator door.

"Oh." He looked surprised for a minute, glanced at the table then shut the laptop. Weird. "Surprise!" He said with a grin.

"You made a mess in my kitchen surprise?" She mused as she dropped into the chair across from him. The front door opened behind her and she spun around to see Jeremy walk in. He mumbled something in their general direction and stomped up the stairs. Elena turned back to face Damon.

"No. I'm not making a mess. Well, it does kind of look that way, but here." He picked up a pamphlet and handed it to her. She stared at it, eyes wide.

"Northwestern?"

"Yes. And Columbia and NYU and a few others we talked about a few days ago." He pushed those towards her as well. "We..." And he looked pointedly at her, "are applying to all of these."

"We as in?"

He sighed. "As in I'm going to sit here and make you fill out the applications. And help you with your essays." He placed his hand over his heart and batted his eyes dramatically. "I am a master wordsmith." He smiled at Elena who beamed at him.

"You ordered all of these for me?" She asked. He rolled his eyes. "Yes, Elena." He pushed the laptop towards her. "Get to typing." He stood up to stretch and grab a bottle of scotch that Alaric always kept on hand, poured himself a glass.

"Damon, I can't afford to go to any of these places. I'm barely getting by with all my school absences. I'm not going to be getting any scholarships. To anywhere."

He sighed heavily. "Elena. We'll worry about the finances later. Fill out the damn applications."

"What about Jer...?" He cut her off.

"Elena. Fill out the damn applications." He reached around her, typed in Northwestern's website address. "We'll start here."

* * *

Tyler finished the last drops of his blood bag and sighed. His mom had been gone for hours, and based on the news having been shown a little over an hour ago Tyler guessed it was sometime after midnight. He hadn't heard Damon come in though. Pity. He glanced down at the chain link that he had been working on all day. He was almost through. He couldn't risk breaking it though. Not yet. He had to wait for the right moment. It wouldn't do him any good to be caught with his chain separated, loose from the wall. Damon would just tranquilize him and find a new chain. Or kill him. And that wasn't exactly the outcome he was looking for. No, he would just have to be patient and wait. The right moment would find him. Soon.

**I'm so glad to be done with this chapter. Definitely more excited to get to work on the next one….*Wink wink!* Hope you liked it. Feel free to leave me your thoughts. Good or bad, I still like to know what you think! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Greetings! Still a big lack of response….but you guys keep reading so I guess I'll keep writing. Thanks for reading….read on! **

Caroline breezed into the Salvatore house, an overnight bag in hand. Damon was sitting at the breakfast bar reading the newspaper. "Hey, Barbie." He said, not lifting his head from the newspaper. She stopped in front of him. He folded down a corner. "Yes?" He inquired.

"Be careful with my friend." She said sharply. Damon frowned.

"Which one?"

"Elena, dumbass. Break her heart and I'll break your face." Growling, Caroline walked away. Damon fought a smile and returned to his newspaper. Stomping down the steps, Caroline grabbed a blood bag from the cooler and stepped into the prisoner room. Tyler was sitting up, waiting on her.

"Hey, Care." He said softly. Caroline smiled at him.

"Hey, Tyler." She held up her bag. "I brought goodies."

"Did you check with the Warden first? Contraband…" Tyler said sarcastically.

"Let me handle him." Caroline cut him off. She handed him some basic hygiene stuff. Deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste, a change of clothes. She also produced a 'to go' bag from the Grill. Matt had them fix up a bacon cheeseburger, extra fries. It was what Tyler always ordered. He nodded his thanks. Then she brought out the portable DVD player and the burned disc from the game last night. "I can't stay." She whispered sadly. Tyler glanced up.

"It's alright. I know you've got the dance today." Caroline nodded and reached for his hand.

"It's already insane. Amy has screwed up the decorations one time too many. So I need to get going. I'll hang out all day tomorrow, okay?"

He forced a smile. "Yeah. Tomorrow."

She skipped back up the steps. Damon reached out a hand to stop her. Closing the door behind her he looked intently at her. "What, Salvatore? I'm a woman on a mission today. Do not mess with me." She crossed her arms and began to tap her foot. Damon looked over her shoulder nodded in the direction of Tyler.

"He's up to something, isn't he?" Damon asked.

Caroline's eyes widened and she shook her head. "No! Of course he's not. Why would you think that? He wants out of there bad. He's behaving."

"Exactly." Damon whispered. "He's been a model prisoner. He's planning something."

"You're paranoid." She said. "I don't have time for this. I've got to be going." She brushed past him. "You're imagining things, Salvatore. Not everybody is as devious as you are. I'll see you at the dance." And she slammed the door. Damon turned back around, eyeing the door that led to the basement. Something was off with wolf boy. He just knew it.

* * *

Elena slipped her dress over her head, and tugged it down over her hips. Standing in front of her full length mirror, she turned this and that way to make sure everything was where it should be. She smiled at her reflection. Making her way into the bathroom she elected to style her hair in an up do. It made the open back more dramatic. She piled her long hair artistically on the top of her head in a loose knot, with soft tendrils that fell around her face. She brushed a soft blush over her cheeks and added some quick mascara and some pale blue eye shadow to highlight the dress. Jeremy walked by the open doorway.

"Wow." He whispered. "You look….nice." Elena laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Thanks, Jer." She turned to face him leaning against the counter. He had pulled out his black suit and was wearing a dark green button up with no tie. "You look handsome." He blushed.

"Green is..." He started.  
"Bonnie's favorite color." Elena finished. She nodded. "You riding with me?"

He shook his head and started down the stairs. "Nah, Matt and I are riding together." Elena smiled. She was so glad they were good friends. She sent a quick text to Caroline telling her that she was on her way to get her and then one to Bonnie saying she was next. Slipping her phone into her clutch, adding her debit card and ID she started the delicate walk down the stairs. Caroline had let her borrow a pair of black heels that went beautifully with her dress. But Lord, they were really, really tall stilettos. Alaric was just walking out the door when she came up behind him.

"Wow." He said, with a low whistle. "You'll knock 'em dead." He chuckled lightly.

She blushed. "Thanks, Ric." He held the door open for her and they both climbed in their respective cars and headed off to the dance.

* * *

The wait was killing him. Literally. His anger expounded hourly. Hearing Damon humming as he got ready for the dance pissed him off more. He should be going to the dance. He was tempted to call Damon down here, break the link holding him to the wall and snap his neck. Then he could dig the key off of him and he'd be free. Hell, he could probably pick the lock himself. He wouldn't know until he got over to it. And the length of his chains didn't allow him to reach that far.

Tyler banged his head back against the wall. This blew. Damon skipped down the stairs, his boots making soft thuds on the concrete floor. He tossed Tyler a blood bag. "Drink up, buttercup." Damon said with a false smile.

"I hate you." Tyler hissed. He grit his teeth and tried to rein in his temper. If Damon thought he was overtly volatile, he probably wouldn't live out the day.

"Feeling's mutual, fleabag." He said and turned around to go back upstairs. Tyler blew out a breath, visibly calmed. He was just waiting for an opportunity. Soon, he chanted over and over. Soon.

* * *

Caroline, Bonnie and Elena entered the dance arm in arm. It was apparently quite the spectacle. Heads turned in their direction. Caroline was beaming from ear to ear; Bonnie was actively searching out Jeremy in the crowd. And Elena? Elena spotted Damon immediately. His back was to her as he talked to Ric. The music pulsed in the background. Ric looked around his shoulder at the girls, and Elena smiled at him. Damon turned then, looked over his shoulder. His eyes scanned her body in a slow perusal that brought that blessed heat back into her cheeks. A shiver ran through her and when his eyes finally met hers she pursed her lips in a half smile. He looked delicious in his black slacks and black button up. The top two buttons were undone so you could see the smooth column of his throat. Sexy didn't begin to describe it. Sighing, Elena had to shake herself out of her stupor. She looked away and followed behind Bonnie who tugged on her hand.

We Are Young played in the background. Elena bobbed her head to the beat and complimented Caroline on the decorations. It really looked amazing. The stage was set to announce Homecoming King and Queen later and for all the ribbons and balloons you couldn't tell it was a high school gym. Elena was pouring a cup of punch when a whisper of breath caressed her neck. She shivered.

"It's not spiked." He said his voice laced with disappointment. She grinned, took a sip.

"It's a high school dance." She whispered conspiratorially. He grinned wickedly at her.

"So?" She shook her head and laughed at him. She looked back at him when he got quiet. He was staring at her with a look in his eyes that she didn't see from him often. She loved it. "You look stunning, if it isn't obvious. That color suits you. As does the dress." He whispered. She smiled at him.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"You're welcome." He picked up her hand, brushed a kiss across her knuckles. "Save me a dance later?" He asked. She nodded. And with nothing but a whisper he was gone. Elena rejoined her friends but not before overhearing a conversation about Tyler.

"Sucks he missed the game." A sophomore told Matt as she walked by.

"He's real sick." Matt told him. "Hasn't been himself for a few days. Might not be back for a while."

"Oh, snap!" The sophomore replied. "Is it mono? I've heard mono can knock you on your ass for weeks, even months!" Matt shook his head.

"I don't know man. I'll let you know when I hear something." Elena touched his back lightly as she walked by. He turned and smiled at her. Walking up to Caroline, Elena hooked her arm through hers and rested her head on her shoulder. Caroline beamed at her.

"You okay?" Elena asked.

Caroline nodded. "I should be asking you that question too. First dance without Stefan." She murmured, looping her arm around Elena's waist. Elena sighed.

"No. I'm fine. Stefan has moved on, and so have I." She said. Her eyes immediately searched for Damon. "When Klaus kidnapped me and Stefan didn't even bother looking at me? I knew then it was definitely over. I just feel bad for Damon. His brother was so close and then he just took off." Damon looked up, met her eyes. His smile was sad and Elena's heart hurt for him. She was interrupted by a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around she faced Jared Cowl, a senior. He played basketball and was cute in a jockish sort of way. He was in her Calculus class.

"Hey, Jared." She said with a friendly smile. "What's up?" He held out his hand.

"Elena. Care to dance?" She looked quickly at Caroline who grinned and pushed her towards him.

"Go." She whispered in her ear.

"Sure." Elena responded, following behind him onto the dance floor. They danced close together to the newest Rhianna jam. There was no small talk; the music was too loud for that. He kept a respective distance but Elena could feel eyes on her from several corners of the room. This was a dance though, damnit. And she was going to dance. She had no obligations to anyone in this room. A teeny tiny part of her felt guilty but she pushed it aside. She was here to have fun. And standing over in the corner for the entire dance did not constitute as fun.

"Are you having fun?" He whispered to her as the music died down. Almost as if he could hear her inner commentary. She looked up at him; he was remarkably tall, which came in handy playing basketball. She nodded. "Good. I'll find you later? Another dance, maybe?" He asked. She smiled at him. He really was a nice guy.

"Sure." She told him. She went to step off the 'dance floor' when her hand was snagged and she was tugged around. Her hand flew up ready to catch herself and it slammed hard into a muscular chest.

"My turn." He growled playfully in her ear. He placed his cool hand on her bare back to bring her close and she shivered again. The music changed, the lights dimmed and Lifehouse began to filter through the speakers. She looked up at his eyes. They burned bright blue in the sparse lighting and she inwardly sighed. She loved his eyes. They held a depth of information. All of his secrets, the good the bad and the ugly. She saw Jeremy lead Bonnie out onto the dance floor and sighed. She hated they were both so miserable.

"I love this song." She said, laying her head down on his chest.

"I know." He murmured, his hand still but brushing his thumb up and down along her spine. It sent goose bumps radiating over her skin.

_Find me here, speak to me_

_I want to feel you, I need to hear you_

_You are the light that's leading me_

_To the place where I find peace again_

Neither of them said anything, they just moved with the music. They were as close together as they could possibly be and Elena loved every second of it. Elena liked this song for two reasons, well probably more than that. Right now? Reason one: it was a beautiful song and thinking back on the lyrics it seemed to suit the current situation pretty well. Reason two: it was a very long song. And the longer the song, the longer he would hold her.

_You are the strength that keeps me walking_

_You are the hope that keeps me trusting_

_You are the light to my soul_

_You are my purpose, you're everything_

Head still on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. Strange how a simple dance, just swaying back and forth could be so arousing. Elena could feel every touch, she breathed him relishing in the unique scent of woods and male and Damon. Every nerve ending was on fire. She nudged her head close, rubbed her nose against his neck. He growled low in his throat. She felt it rumble in his chest.

_How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?_

_Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?_

_You calm the storms and you give me rest_

_You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall_

_You steal my heart and you take my breath away_

_Would you take me in, take me deeper now_

Damon hummed along with the song. A feather light kiss brushed the top of her head. She lifted her head then, met his eyes. He was so focused on her. Neither of them said anything. And she wasn't really sure who made the first move but his lips touched hers softly and she melted. A breathy moan escaped her lips. The song continued on but her hand on his chest moved upwards to thread through the short hairs at the back of his neck. She traced her nails lightly across his neck and he shivered. She smiled against his lips. "Don't smile when you kiss me." He murmured, pulling back. "It bruises my ego." She shook her head but stepped on her toes to brush a kiss across his cheek.

_Cause you're all I want, you're all I need_

_You're everything, everything_

_You're all I want, You're all I Need_

_You're everything, everything_

The song picked up, the drums and electric guitar kicking in and Elena felt her heart kick up a notch. The song would be over soon. And then what? "What's wrong?" He murmured. She shook her head, laying it back down on his shoulder.

"Nothing." She whispered, knowing he heard her perfectly well.

"I can't fix it if you don't tell me."

"Maybe I don't want you to fix it." She said. She felt his lips curl into a smile on her forehead. He tensed and let out a low growl. Elena lifted her head. Matt was walking towards them.

"Can I cut in?" He asked, holding out his hand. Elena looked up at Damon who had murder in his eyes.

"No. Go away, Mutt." Damon hissed. He tugged Elena closer. Elena rolled her eyes at him. She reached up to kiss his stubbled jaw.

"Later." She whispered to Damon. And it carried so much meaning. He reluctantly let her go but not before stalking off the dance floor, knocking his shoulder into Matt's as he went.

"Jesus he's moody." Matt laughed. Elena laughed too. "I just wanted to ruffle his feathers a little bit. He was starting to get a little too friendly. It's a high school dance." Elena swatted him playfully. The next song launched and Elena was relieved it was a little bit faster. "You okay?" He asked. Elena grimaced.

"I'm fine. I feel good. Feel happy. For the first time in a long time. And believe it or not? It has a lot to do with him." She said.

"Man. Ew!" Matt replied. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really." She confirmed.

"Well...as long as you're happy, I guess." He grumbled. Elena smiled.

"Thanks, Matt." They finished out the song, and Elena could feel his eyes on her again. Matt walked her back to Caroline and held out his hand. Caroline smiled appreciatively and followed him out onto the dance floor. She winked in Elena's direction and Elena found herself beaming at Caroline. It was good she was enjoying herself. She deserved to. It was senior year for goodness sake. Sighing, Elena meandered her way over to Ric who was leaning against a pillar looking every bit the bored chaperone.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Elena asked him, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Working." He replied. He glanced down at her. "Why?"

"I don't know. Was thinking maybe we should meet her soon. I can whip something up for dinner. The four of us?"

He smiled. "Sounds good. Sounds normal." She nodded.

"We could use some normal."

He laughed. "You're not wrong."

* * *

Elijah watched Stefan and Rebekah from the safety of his balcony. They were playing in the ocean, splashing water on each other. But there was a hesitation there. Stefan did not want to be here. His coercion was extremely obvious. Rebekah didn't care though. She loved Stefan. The feeling may have once been mutual but it was no longer.

Shock had definitely been Elijah's first reaction to seeing Stefan walk down the stairs. Anger had been the second. He wasn't sure why Stefan had returned to Rebekah but Elijah was determined to fix it. He was tired of his family using their unique powers to mess with vampires and humans alike.

As Katherine stepped up behind him, wrapped her arms around his waist Elijah placed his hands over hers. "Enjoying the view?" She asked.

He frowned, looked over his shoulder at her. "Not so much." Elijah told her. "Rebekah's obsession with Stefan needs to be dealt with. Delicately, of course." He sighed. "I don't want him held against his will here."

Katherine laid her head on his back. "He's a big boy."

"Undoubtedly. However, I won't have my sister abusing her abilities. She can easily find someone to love her. She doesn't need to use compulsion." Katherine snorted her disagreement. Elijah tapped her hand lightly and she released him from her hold. She moved to stand beside him.

"I'm just saying…" Katherine pouted. "Let Rebekah be Rebekah. If you let Stefan go she's just going to lash out, cause a little chaos and probably compel some other poor soul into being her pet. Stefan knew what he was getting into." Stefan lifted his head to turn to meet Elijah's gaze from down the beach. Elijah sighed.

"I'm her only family right now, Katerina." Elijah murmured, reverting to her original name. He lifted his hand to caress her face. Katherine purred her approval, leaned into his touch.

"I'm ready for Venice, Elijah." Her purr turned back to a pout.

"Once I handle this situation, love. Soon." He leaned in, kissed her forehead and resumed his post on the balcony rail.

* * *

When they announced Homecoming King and Queen Caroline shoulders slumped a little bit. Elena patted her back comfortingly. Caroline should have been up there but due to all the hubbub this year with Klaus and everything else going on Caroline's face hadn't been very prominent. She'd withdrawn herself from the homecoming court and Elena was sure it was probably one of the hardest things she'd ever done. Thankfully she still had Miss Mystic Falls.

After the King and Queen danced, Elena felt a tap on her shoulder. Jared. He held out his hand again. Elena hesitated. Jared smile sadly. "You don't have to." He whispered. "I saw you dancing with Stefan's brother." Elena sighed and met his eyes.

"Yeah." She whispered back. "I'm sorry." He shook his head.

"Don't be." He flashed his award winning smile at her, the one that made all the girls go weak in the knees. "You know where to find me if he turns out to be a giant douche." Elena laughed heartily and nodded. Jared grinned and walked away.

"_If_ he turns out to be a giant douche?" Caroline muttered. "He _is_a giant douche."

"Only to you, Barbie." Damon laughed, sneaking up behind them. Elena beamed at him. Caroline snarled at him. "Don't take out your angsty 'I'm not Homecoming Queen' crap out on me, Care." He said, throwing up his hands. She slapped her hands down on the table and stalked off. Elena pursed her lips at him.

"That's wasn't very nice, Mr. Salvatore." She whispered.

He slid into Caroline's seat and leaned closer. "Can I tell you a secret?" He asked. She raised an eyebrow at him. He leaned even closer. "I'm not a very nice guy." He whispered seductively into her ear. It sent shivers down her spine. He smiled wickedly at her and she rolled her eyes but couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face. "We should go home." He said, leaning again close to her ear. "Finish what we started."

Elena's jaw dropped, her eyes wide she turned her head to look at him. "Damon!" She gasped.

He chuckled, closed her jaw with a small push of his index finger. "The applications, Elena." Her lips were so close to hers, if she moved a fraction of an inch. The side of his mouth quirked and Elena found herself wanting to wipe the smirk off of his face. With her mouth. "Unless you want to finish something else." He murmured. "I'm game if you are."

"Jesus. Get a room." Jeremy said as he walked by. Elena pulled back, blinking away her trance. Damon had a way of doing that to her. Damon laughed and watched Jeremy walk away. Elena rolled her eyes.

"I drove Care and Bonnie." Elena told him, taking a sip of her drink.

"So?"

"So, I need to drive them home." Damon stood, offered Elena his hand.

"Let them find their own way home." He murmured.

"I'm a better friend than that." She said, declining his hand. She began to walk away. When she was a good distance away, she turned around, smiled at him. His hands were on his hips. He looked dumbfounded at being rejected. She winked. "See you in an hour?"

His smile lit the room.

* * *

Caroline glanced down at the text on her phone in disbelief. It had come out of nowhere. She had never logged the number in her phone. Had never needed to. But she knew exactly who it was from. _Call me. _It had read. Slipping out of the gym, Caroline headed away from the noise, away from prying ears. If she had reached out it was important.

Placing the call, she held her cell up to her ear. The lone click of her heels echoed in the empty hallway. She entered a classroom, shut the door after herself. It rang several times and Caroline almost feared she wouldn't pick up.

"Caroline?" She sounded shaky.

"What's wrong?" Caroline's heart dropped, her voice portrayed her worry.

"I need your help."

**Questions? Comments? Concerns? Hit that little review button at the bottom! **

**Oh! And thanks to all my 'guest' reviewers….I just hate that I can't message you a response! **

**Everything by Lifehouse? Amazing song! Listened to this one over and over to help with this chapter too! **

**See ya soon….**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks for all your feedback! You guys seem to know just when I need to hear from you the most! Buckle your seatbelts ladies! **

Elijah stood alone out on the soft sandy beach. The sun was rising in a pretty pink ball, reflecting beautifully on the crystal blue water. Katherine had still been sleeping when he slipped out of bed. Stefan ran in the mornings. Even in paradise. He heard his steps in the sand before he saw him. Stefan stopped beside him, admired the sunrise too. As creatures of the night, it was awe inspiring to be able to see the sun, to bask in its presence daily. Only a select few had that honor. Elijah didn't turn his head.

"Go home, Stefan." He said softly. In his peripheral vision, Elijah saw Stefan cross his arms in defense.

"I want to be here, Elijah. With Rebekah." Stefan protested.

"No. You don't." Elijah turned. "There are many perks to being an Original, Stefan. I have the power to override another Original's compulsion." Stefan frowned. Elijah caught Stefan's gaze. "You've been held against your will by too many members of my family. No more. I am releasing you from any compulsion designed by my sister." He paused, sighed. "Stefan, by the power bestowed on me by the Original witch, I set you free."

Stefan stood there looking at Elijah, the blankest look on his face. "I don't understand." He said, shaking his head.

Elijah placed a hand on his shoulder. "You needn't worry about Rebekah or retaliation. I will handle her. Go home Stefan, back to your brother. And Elena." That being said, Elijah headed back into the house, leaving Stefan staring after him in complete and utter confusion.

* * *

Elena pulled into the big circular driveway and parked behind his Camaro. She tugged her bag out behind her, slinging the strap over her shoulder. As she strolled up the walkway, he opened the front door. Damon stepped into the light, leaned against the door jamb, and crossed his arms and his ankles. He didn't say a word. She smiled at him.

"Hey." She said, stepping up onto the porch.

"Hey back." He said with that look in his eye. That look that made promises that Elena hoped he would follow through on. She swallowed and he chuckled.

"Are you going to let me in?" She asked, crossing her arms.

The side of his mouth lifted and he brought his index finger to his mouth, pretended to contemplate her question. "Depends." He said.

"On what?" She asked, irritated.

"On whether you pay the toll." She rolled her eyes at him and spun around on her heel ready to march back to her car when he pulled her to him. He turned her cautiously in his arms, the grin on his face smug and irritating. "It's just a kiss." He whispered. He lowered his lips to hers, brushed them softly. And then he stood, released her and indicated she should enter the house. She stood there for a second. Dazed and a little confused but she appeared to pull her wits together and strode inside.

Setting her bag on the table she pulled out her laptop. She dropped onto the couch, kicked off her heels and propped her feet up on the coffee table. Opening her laptop, she looked up to watch him standing at the entrance to the room. He was leaning against the wall again, a smirk on his face. So she wanted to do applications? Then they'd do applications. He sauntered over to the bar, poured himself a drink and sat down caddy corner to her in the chair.

Damon watched her type and sipped slowly on his drink. They had come a long way, the two of them. From her not being able to sit in the same room with him to relying on him to find her boyfriend to her personal confidant and to someone she genuinely cared for. "You're staring." She whispered, not looking up from her laptop.

"I like the view." He said honestly. She blushed and tucked some stray strands of her hair behind her ear. He liked making her blush. In fact, he'd like to explore and see how far the blush really went. She shook her head. "What?"

"You can't help it, can you?" She asked.

"Help what?"

"Do you ever turn it off?"

"No. I turn things on." He said with a grin.

She blushed again and laughed. "You can't ever be serious, either!"

"Oh, I can be serious." He told her, set his drink down. "Ask me a question."

She closed her laptop, set it off to the side. She cleared her throat, was she nervous? Then she looked up. Met his eyes. "Do you love me?"

His heart began to pound and if he was capable of breaking into a sweat he was pretty sure he would have. He swallowed thickly, looked her in the eyes."Bold of you." He murmured. "Yes." He heard her heartbeat accelerate and he would have smiled, but he was more intrigued to see where this was going. Surprise flitted across her face. She swallowed and his eyes never left her hers. The tension in the room was so thick you could slice it with a knife. She opened her mouth to speak and then abruptly closed it. A log popped in the fireplace and she jumped. It seemed to knock her out of her reverie. "That's it?" He asked huskily. "That's all you want to know? I thought that was pretty obvious."

"Have you ever compelled me?"

Oh. Shitdamnfuck.

She must have read some of his reaction on his face. Her eyes widened. "Have you?" She edged forward on her seat. He held his hand out to keep her from fleeing.

"Twice. Wait!" He said as she moved to stand. "Will you at least let me explain?" Her rage was barely controlled, and justifiably so.

"Make it fast." She growled through clenched teeth. He stood to block her exit.

"The first time was the day we met. The day of the car accident. I saw you after the party that night. You were talking to Bonnie on your cell." He ran his hand through his hair, his frustration seeping out. "I thought you were Katherine." She blinked at him, her anger ebbing but still present. "We had a nice conversation. You were flirty, I was flirty. And then your parents showed up. I wasn't ready for anyone to know I was in town, so I compelled you to forget we had met..." She seemed okay with that, or as okay as she could be at present time.

"And the second time?"

"The second time was the night we rescued you from Rose and Elijah. I snuck into your room to give you back your necklace. I told you how I felt, and then compelled you to forget." He sighed, somewhat relieved to have it off his chest.

"That's all? How do I know you're being honest?" She sat back down on the couch.

"The only true way is for you to remember by yourself. And that requires you to go through transition." He moved to stand in front of her. "I'm not real keen on you dying, sweetheart." He squatted down to eye level. "I won't ever do it again, not without your permission." He whispered. He cupped her cheek, leaned his forehead against hers. "I understand if you're mad at me, but at the time it was my only option. Both times." She closed her eyes. He inhaled sharply. "Elena..." he whispered, fear creeping into his heart. "Please don't shut me out." She pulled away, anguish clearly written all over her face. "Elena." He said again.

"You were honest with me." She whispered. "Let me be honest with you." She sighed and then at the look of apprehension and confusion on his face, just came out with it. "You know, against my better judgment...I'm falling for you." She said softly. Her eyes were filled with tears and he reached for her hand squeezed it. "Please don't make me regret it." He shook his head.

"I will do everything in my power to not make you regret it." He vowed as he reached up to wipe away a tear. "I promise." He slid onto the seat beside her, pulled her close. Her head rested on his chest and he whispered softly, "This is so not how I imagined this night going."

She laughed softly, nestling into his arms wrapping her arm around his stomach. "How did you picture it going?"

"It's probably not appropriate to tell you." He said with a smile.

"Wow."

"Yep." He sighed.

"Thank you." She ran her fingers lightly over his arm, he shivered.

"For what?" He asked, stalling her hand on his arm.

"For being honest with me. For answering my questions. Even though I may not have liked one of the answers."

"You can ask me anything, Elena. I won't lie to you just to spare your feelings." She sat up. "What?" He asked. He was just getting cozy.

"I'm gonna go upstairs. Change into something more comfortable." She said, sliding off the couch.

"I like the sound of that." He raised an eyebrow at her. She smacked him in the arm and walked over to the stairs.

"Shut up." She muttered and started up the stairs. He downed the rest of his drink and tried his damnedest not to think of her upstairs. Naked.

Yup, he needed a refill.

* * *

Caroline knocked on the door hesitantly. She looked behind her nervously though she knew no one was behind her. She would have heard something. Elena had driven her home, mistaking her silence as irritation with her lack of Homecoming court status instead of an eagerness to get home and slip out the back door undetected. Caroline glanced at her watch, slightly irritated now. She said she'd be home. She was only a few minutes late and that was just because Bonnie had been moaning over Jeremy and 'what to do, what to do', which caused a mini powwow, which in turn caused Caroline to be dropped off later than expected.

Huffing in frustration, Caroline knocked on the door again and it flew open. Gasping, Caroline placed her hand over her undead heart. "I didn't know you could sneak up on a vampire." She said with a twinge of sarcasm in her voice. She swept her arm out behind her. "Please, come in."

Caroline breezed through the door, the invitation not needed for entry but used just for civil purposes. Caroline strode to the mini bar that was so popular in this house. She poured herself a stiff drink and downed it quickly. "Don't judge me. It's been a long….well, hell. It's been a long day, week, month, year. Take your pick." She plopped down onto a sofa, rubbed her temple. An old human habit she had. She used to get migraines, didn't get them anymore. Vampires didn't get sick. Yet another bonus to being one of the eternal living dead. "So, Carol? What's this big emergency?"

Carol Lockwood sat down on the chair across from Caroline and sighed. "My son is an idiot."

Caroline rolled her eyes but nodded. "And?"

"He tried to compel me." She ran a hand through her hair. "He seems to have forgotten that I put Vervain in my tea every morning." Caroline moved her hand in a circular 'get to the point' motion. "He's going to escape."

Caroline's jaw dropped. "But he can't. Damon'll kill him!" She yelled.

"I know. You have to stop him."

"Did he tell you when? Or give any indication of his plans?"

Carol shook her head, bit her lower lip. "No. He said he's planning revenge though and then leaving town. Caroline, I know he's a hybrid….whatever that means, but Damon is tricky and has weapons up his sleeve. I can't watch my baby, my only child go on a suicide mission." Tears rimmed her eyes and Caroline reached out to hand her a tissue and stood to pace back and forth in front of Carol's chair.

"I'll have to get Damon out of the house. Or wait until he's left to speak to Tyler. Damon thinks he's up to something….he'll never let me visit without listening in to the conversation for subtle clues. Damnit!" Caroline unthinkingly crushed her glass in her hand. "What the hell is he thinking? His best shot is to sit tight." Carol rushed over to take the pieces of the glass, ever the hostess. Caroline turned to face her. "Don't worry. I'll handle this." Caroline told the mayor with a false smile. "Nothing's going to happen to Tyler."

* * *

After a short debate with herself Elena settled for one of her old cheerleading t-shirts and a pair of short shorts she had left here once upon a time. She quickly changed and headed back downstairs. Damon was busy pouring himself another drink. "Getting drunk?" She asked.

He frowned at her, then after staring at her legs for a good minute, knocked back his glass and poured another. "If you're going to prance around my house like that." He pointed at her. "I'm seriously contemplating it."

She chuckled and plopped down on the couch, covered her legs with a throw. "Better?"

He shrugged. "Didn't say I didn't appreciate the view."

"When are we going to quit dancing around each other?" She asked frankly, snatching his glass from him as he sat down beside her. She took a sip, made a face as she swallowed. She handed the glass back to him. He laughed.

"Don't know." He whispered. "I kind of like dancing around each other."

"Well, I don't." She leaned forward, grabbed his shirt in her fist and kissed him. His shock wore off quickly and he set his glass down without looking. He reached around her waist pulled her to him so her legs were on either side of his hips. She let go of his shirt to frame his face with her hands, brushed her lips slowly over his, taking her time. He pulled back, leaning his head against the cushion. He watched her with those knowing eyes of his, smiled. He brushed the hair away from her face, left his hand on her cheek.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered. And then he was kissing her again, deep passionate kisses. Her brain turned to mush. His other hand slid around her waist, pressed her close. Elena rocked her hips against his and he gasped. He threaded his hands into her hair, tugging it down careful of the pins that held the mass together. She wound her arms around his neck, opening her mouth to his tongue. He swept it inside, sucked on her lower lip. Damon brushed his hand across her breast, eliciting a soft moan from her. He slowed then, pressed his mouth to the corner of hers, along the curve of her jaw, her throat. Her head fell back and she whispered his name. "God, Elena." He murmured. "Tell me to stop." He pressed his forehead against her shoulder, exhaled heavily.

"I don't want you to." She said breathily, she reached down to tug his shirt up. His hand encircled her wrist, stopping her.

"As much as I'd like to continue this and God, you have no idea how much I want to." He growled, kissing her shoulder. "There's a dog in my basement and I'd rather not have an audience." Elena screwed her face up in a pout and he smiled gently at her, kissed her softly. "If you still feel this way tomorrow..." He swept his thumb across her collar bone. "Soon." He promised.

* * *

Stefan drove aimlessly around the island for a while. A million and one thoughts were running through his head. Elijah had released him from all of Rebekah's compulsions. That had been a bit shocking. He sighed as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel to match the beat of the steel drums coming out of the speakers.

Why had he gone to see her in the first place? He had wanted to return her necklace. Felt obligated to return it to her. It wasn't Elena's, it belonged to Rebekah. It had all gone downhill from there. Did he love her? Maybe a long time ago.

Being free of Klaus' compulsions and now Rebekah's while enlightening was still extremely confusing. The urge to feed was all consuming, maybe that would help clear his head. He pulled over into a bar, parked the car. It was lunchtime and the locals gathered here religiously. Stepping out of the vehicle, he stood in the wedge between the open door and car for a minute. He took deep calming breaths. Not necessary for survival but necessary for mind clearing.

He shook his head, he couldn't do this. Couldn't continue to live like he'd been living. He needed help. Needed to get back on track. And he definitely couldn't do it by himself. This time he knew where he was going. He parked his car at the airport. Grabbing his jacket out of the passenger seat, the only thing he'd brought with him to paradise he sauntered over to the dingy little ticket counter.

A friendly native beamed at him. "Leaving us today, sir?" She asked. Stefan nodded, handed over his credit card. "Your destination, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Home."

* * *

Elena disentangled herself from Damon's hold. He grumbled something at her but she smoothed a hand over his hair and he settled. Grabbing a sweater, she wrapped it around herself. The boarding house could be so drafty. She still couldn't believe she had been so bold tonight, but after her pep talk to herself earlier, she had determined you only live once. When you were a doppelganger and were friends with a bunch of vampires, witches and werewolves, your life expectancy became infinitely more precarious. After a nice, long chat in which she and Damon talked about anything and everything Elena had yawned, causing Damon to drag her upstairs to his bedroom to get some sleep. He'd set down some pretty firm ground rules, most of which Elena had laughed at. But as soon as her head had hit the pillow she was out. Glancing at the clock she noticed they had slept for a good long while.

She slipped out of his bedroom, shutting the door softly behind her. She walked down the stairs headed towards the kitchen to get a glass of water. She had decided to brew a pot of tea when she heard the bump from the basement. Geez, she had completely forgotten Tyler was downstairs.

She headed that way to make sure everything was okay when she heard Caroline's hushed voice. "What the hell is wrong with you? Damon will kill you!" Caroline hissed.

"Not if I kill him first." Tyler retorted and Elena gasped. They both quieted.

"Elena?" Caroline called. "Is that you?" Elena froze. What the hell was she supposed to do? Yell for Damon? Her heart was beating out of her chest. Caroline rushed up the stairs. "Elena! What are you doing here?"

Elena opened her mouth to speak when Caroline dragged her back down the stairs. "I fell asleep. What's going on, Care?"

Caroline pointed at Tyler, who was standing, eyes glowing yellow and for the second time in only a few short days Elena felt a chill run down her spine. She was afraid. "He's an idiot. That's what's going on!" She jabbed her finger at him again. "He tried to compel his mother! She's a member of the council, moron! She's on Vervain. He plans to escape and kill Damon, Elena."

"Your diarrhea of the mouth is starting to piss me off, Care." Tyler growled.

"Too stinking bad." She put her hands on her hips. "Tell him, Elena. Damon will kill him, won't think twice about it."

Elena nodded. "Tyler, please." Elena pleaded. "Don't test him."

"Oh, I'm not going to test him. I'm going to kill him." Tyler told her with a straight face.

Elena's heart sunk and she could see the heartbreak on Caroline's face. Elena edged away, wondering how best to get Damon's attention without attracting Caroline's ire. Tyler watched her warily. "Caroline. Stop her." He hissed. Caroline turned around panic on her face.

"Elena, you can't tell Damon. Let me talk him down, please." Tears were pooling in her eyes. She wrapped her hand around the bars, and reached for Elena's hand. "Please?"

Elena opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything she watched frozen as Tyler yanked his arms forward, breaking his chain in two and rushing the bars of his prison. Caroline gaped at him and Elena watched in horror as he snapped Caroline's neck. She fell to the ground instantly and Elena's throat tightened. Her fear was paralyzing. She turned to flee back up the stairs when she heard an awful screeching sound and the door to Tyler's prison was wrenched open. Elena was halfway up the stairs when he grabbed her ankle, his claws digging into her skin. She fell forward her hands unable to catch her as she fell.

She banged her chin on the step hard, her teeth slammed together. She heard ringing in her ears. As Tyler dragged her back down the steps Elena managed to groan Damon's name. And then everything went black.

**Eeek! So? Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Did Elena let Damon off too easy? I didn't feel like she did but then maybe that was because I wanted to write a little make out session! And I know I told you I'd warn you if I got graphic….and I don't think I got too graphic here…but I do plan on being a little more detailed next time (if ya know what I mean!) ;) See ya in a few days….**


	20. Chapter 20

**Who else is stoked TVD comes back on Thursday besides this chick! **

**So I hit 10k views the other day….you guys rock! Makes little ole me so happy! **** And a happy me writes faster…. Also, ahem, graphicness (i.e.: scenes of a citrusy variety) ahead. :D**

**It's a first for me….writing citrus I mean. Please be kind. And just to be on the safe side of things I bumped this to M. Ya know…in case it offends people who want to read T. Super nervous about posting this one...but here goes! **

Tyler pulled Elena back into his prison. He glanced quickly at Caroline laying on the floor. He hated he had to do it, but he saw an opportunity and damnit he took it. She couldn't begrudge him that. He'd gotten tired of listening to her bitch and moan. He should've remembered his mom was on Vervain. Stupid move on his part. Oh, well.

Wrapping his chains around his arms so they wouldn't drag on the ground or snag on something and slow him down he looked around the room. He slipped on his tennis shoes, picked up Elena off of the basement floor and began his trek up the stairs. He hadn't heard Damon make any sound so he was safe for the moment at least. He just had to make it out of the house undetected and he was home free.

He wasn't really sure where he would go but he'd keep Elena as a hostage for as long as it took to figure things out. After grabbing Elena and ensuring she was out cold with a small blow to the head, Tyler elected to leave Damon some time to reflect on his bad decisions in the past. Taking Elena with him would inflict more pain on Damon than killing him would. If he killed him, he wouldn't suffer. This way, he'd suffer. He'd left behind a little bit of Elena's blood as well. That would drive Damon wild.

Smiling to himself, Tyler skirted around the hall headed for the back door. Freedom was only a moment away.

* * *

Damon sat straight up in bed. His eyes flew to the empty space beside him and then to the alarm clock. She hadn't gone home; she had told him she would stay. He listened intently to see if he could determine her whereabouts simply by the noise she made. Humans were incessantly noisy. Elena was no exception. Hearing nothing he frowned. Sighing, he stood and flew down the stairs. He paused in the kitchen. The tea pot was sitting on the stove, but the stove wasn't on. He turned and noticed the door to the cellar open. "She wouldn't." He strode to the door, intent on blistering her ears and maybe her hide too when he caught the faintest whiff of blood.

He was a dead dog. He didn't care if that drop of blood was from a nose bleed. He was going to kill him. He rounded the corner and spotted Caroline slumped on the floor. Oh, fuck. If he'd 'killed' Caroline, what the hell would he do to Elena? Rage consumed him, his canines lengthened; his body went into offense mode. All he needed was a threat. The door to the cage was wide open, the chains gone. They must still be attached to Tyler. Damon froze, listening again for any sound, any movement. The whisper of the back door alerted Damon and he flew up the stairs, leaving Caroline where she lay. His first concern was Elena.

Damon zipped through the house and out the back door where he heard trampling through the brush. "Bring her back right now, and I'll make your death quick and relatively painless." Damon yelled into the night. The noises stopped. "If I come after you, I'm going to draw it out. Just like I did with your beloved uncle." A low growl came from his right, Damon immediately began walking in that direction. He saw the glow of Tyler's yellow eyes. Fear for Elena was the only fear he felt. If Tyler bit him, so be it. He'd damn well take the fleabag down with him.

"Try me."

Damon moved forward and saw clearly that Elena's lifeless body was slung over Tyler's shoulder. Anxiety rippled through his body, and Damon tensed to jump. "Bring her here." He growled.

"Fat chance, bloodsucker."

"Yeah, that insult really doesn't work if you're one too, idiot." Damon hissed. "Bring Elena here."

"Or what? You'll kill me? Not before I take you down too." He snarled. He shrugged his shoulders, let Elena slip off of his shoulder and fall to the ground. He heard a small 'oomph' as she hit and relief that she was alive eased his mind. Slightly. Damon exhaled slowly, grit his teeth. They stared at each other for a long minute, sizing each other up.

Tyler rushed him, but Damon had been in more fights, was way more experienced. And more in tune with his own strengths. Damon clothes lined him knocked him to the ground. Tyler lay flat on his back. "You'll have to do a little better than that, dog." Damon growled. He stepped back, allowing Tyler to regain his feet. Tyler got up on his hands and knees, whipped his leg out to knock Damon's feet out from under him. Damon stumbled, but never fell. He smiled at Tyler. "Is that all you've got, Lockwood? Color me unimpressed. I figured any spawn of Klaus' had to at least have some kind of fight ingrained in him. Guess that trait skipped you." Damon sneered at him. "C'mon, Tyler. At least make me work for it." He taunted.

Tyler snarled and charged Damon again, this time knocking him off of his feet. Damon held him at arm's length, though it was a struggle. Damon might be older, more experienced but Tyler was a vampire werewolf hybrid. He wasn't weak. Tyler's teeth gleamed in the moonlight, his fangs protruding from his gums threateningly. Damon kept his eyes on Tyler, grinned at him as if he could hold him like this all day. And he could. But that wouldn't end this. And Damon wanted it over. He drew up his knee, lifted Tyler over his head and leapt up onto his feet as Tyler slammed onto his back.

Tyler immediately recovered, scrambling to his feet. "No more taunts, Damon?"

"The time for words is over Tyler." Damon said simply, crouching into position. Elena moaned off to his right, but Damon's eyes never left Tyler's. He could smell her blood in the air and he growled. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing. She tripped." He grinned. "Well, I might've helped." Seeing red, Damon charged.

* * *

Caroline groaned, holding her head. Son of a bitch. She couldn't believe Tyler had snapped her neck. Stupid. Forget Damon killing Tyler _she_ was going to kill Tyler. She had snuck into the back door of the house intent on chewing Tyler a new one to find him working intently on one of the links of his chain. She had lit into him, telling him what an idiot he was when they both heard Elena gasp. Caroline couldn't believe her luck. She had thought Elena had gone home, never imagined that she'd be here! At 3 in the morning? What the hell did that mean? She claimed to have fallen asleep….ha! Caroline thought. Yeah, right.

Caroline glanced around. Oh no! Elena! Flying up the stairs, Caroline heard the struggles of a fight just outside. She raced to stand at the edge of the door way and saw Tyler and Damon circling around each other. She watched in horror as Tyler dove at Damon, and Damon merely jumped over his body as Tyler slid into the dirt. "This is getting old, Tyler." He whined, pretending to brush dirt off of his pants.

"I'll kill you." Tyler growled. Damon rolled his eyes.

"You keep saying that." Damon held out his hands impatiently. "What are you waiting for?" Tyler charged again, this time knocking Damon flat on his back. Tyler bared his teeth, moved in for the kill going for Damon's throat. Elena screamed causing them all to pause and turn to look at her. Tyler immediately returned his focus to Damon his teeth millimeters from Damon's throat. One bite and Damon was as good as dead.

"Tyler please!" Elena pleaded. Her plea spurred Caroline into action. She stepped up behind Tyler, crouched down wrapped her arm around his neck.

She sobbed into his ear. "I'm sorry."

* * *

Elena watched the scene before her unfold in horror. Damon didn't have a good grip on Tyler, but once Tyler loosened his grip trying to claw Caroline's arm around his neck Damon looked into Tyler's eyes.

"You had this coming." He snarled. And Damon pushed his hand into Tyler's chest, grabbed his heart and ripped it out of his body. Caroline sobbed as the yellow faded from Tyler's eyes returning them to their normal brown. She held him as she cried, rocking back and forth.

Damon dropped the heart on the ground, wiped his hand on his pants. Rushing over to Elena he knelt down on the ground in front of her. She stared past him at Caroline and Tyler. Tears streaked down her cheeks. Damon cupped her face, forced her to look at him.

"Are you alright?" He asked, brushing her hair off of her face. She nodded mutely at him. "Are you sure?" He tilted her head upwards to look at the scrapes on her chin. "I can smell your blood, Elena. Where else are you hurt?" He asked. She held up her palms and he inspected them quickly, moving to her knees where she had fallen on the steps. He pulled her gently into his arms and she went soundlessly wrapping her arms around his neck. "Elena," he whispered. "Say something, sweetheart. You're worrying me here." He pulled back, framing her face with his hands again.

"He could've killed you." She said softly, her voice breaking on the last word.

Damon shook his head. "Nah," He said with false bravado. "I had him right where I wanted him." He smiled at her. "I was more worried about you." He stood, offered her his hand. "C'mon. Let me get you inside. I've got a grave to dig." She tentatively reached out, placed her hand in his. She stood then crumbled, her legs giving out. Damon scooped her up into his arms.

"I'm sorry." She said. "I'm shaky."

"It's the adrenaline. I'm going to sit you down on the couch, finish making you that cup of tea. I'll call Ric, have him bring Jeremy over. He can sit with you, okay?" She nodded, buried her face in his neck as he walked past Caroline and Tyler.

"Thank you." She whispered a few minutes later as he brought her a mug of tea laced with a little bit of rum. She held it between her hands and he crouched in front of her. Running a hand over her hair, he brushed a kiss across her temple.

"Jeremy and Ric should be here in a minute. And Bonnie. Jeremy called Bonnie for you too. You want me to wait until they get here?" She shook her head.

"I'll be fine. Go help Caroline." She sipped her tea, smiled weakly at him.

He frowned at her. "Barbie will hold. I'll stay if you want me to."

She leaned forward, kissed him softly. "I'm fine, Damon." She repeated. "Go." She pushed gently at his chest.

"Yell if you need me." He said, rising to his feet. He left quickly, leaving Elena alone with her thoughts.

She was so grateful when Bonnie rushed in, Jeremy right behind her and they both embraced her tightly. Elena held onto her brother and cried. Cried for Tyler, cried for Caroline, cried for the trauma that they all had endured. He held her close, careful of the scrapes on her elbows and her chin. Alaric appeared behind them. After verifying that she was indeed okay, he headed out back to help Damon and Caroline.

* * *

Alaric stood over the empty grave, shook his head and sighed. These poor kids. Never could seem to catch a break. Caroline had stopped crying and was silent in fact but still held onto Tyler's body. Damon had given the Mayor a quick call and she was on her way to say her goodbyes. Her tearful cries on the phone had been nothing short of tragic. Alaric clapped Damon on the back, moved off to the side.

An impromptu funeral ensued. Matt had shown up with Mayor Lockwood. Jeremy had called him and he'd agreed to go pick up Tyler's grieving mother. Carol had sobbed and sobbed upon seeing Caroline holding his lifeless body. She had rushed over to her son, fell to her knees and cried over his shell. To them a few minutes alone, Damon and Alaric had gone inside to get Bonnie, Jeremy and Elena. They all gathered around the makeshift gravesite.

Caroline spoke first. "Tyler was a lot of things to a lot of people." She whispered. "He was a teammate," she smiled at Matt, "a best friend, a dutiful son" her lip trembled as she glanced at Carol. "He could always make me smile. This wasn't his fault." She sobbed, bumping her fist along her hip. Tears streamed down her face and she stepped aside into Elena's open arms. She cried into Elena's neck. "I'm so sorry, Elena." Elena shook her head and murmured back to Caroline.

"Oh, Care. It's not your fault." She rubbed her back soothingly. "I'm fine."

Alaric saw the glint in Damon's eye that said he thought otherwise but he let it be. Carol made a few remarks, begging forgiveness from Tyler and from the group stating that she was sorry that this had happened. He was her only child, all she had left. She clung to Matt afterwards, leaning on Tyler's best friend. Damon had nothing to say and Alaric decided to keep quiet as well. They had all tried their best to keep him alive. When Tyler took matters into his own hands he accepted this fate.

Bonnie guided the women back to the house, offering to make fresh tea and coffee while Damon and Jeremy hung behind. With Jeremy and Alaric looking on, Damon elected to place the body carefully in the grave rather than just rolling him in like Alaric knew he wanted to do. Especially after tangling with Elena the way he had. Between the three of them, they began to shovel dirt onto him, piling it up until the hole was filled. Alaric found a large rock to serve as a marker and placed it at the head of the gravesite.

They stood back, to ensure all evidence had been removed and then strolled casually back to the house. Alaric sent Meredith a text breaking their lunch date, citing a family emergency. He'd explain to her later though the less she knew the better. The women were gathered around the breakfast bar drinking out of mugs and chatting quietly.

"We'll tell people I sent him to a clinic up North where they specialize in treating conditions like his." Carol whispered softly. "After a few months, I can tell everyone he died." She stared down into her cup of tea. Elena glanced up and met Ric's eyes. He read the sadness in hers and smiled softly at her. She made her way over to him, hugged him hard.

"Are you okay?" He asked gently, noting her injuries. Damon stepped up beside her.

"Yeah." She told him with a sad smile. "Fat lot of good all that running and workouts did for me. I didn't even make it up the stairs before he grabbed me." Elena said. Damon growled low in his throat. Elena reached out to take his hand.

"He was stronger than you, Elena. Faster than you." Alaric answered. "You did what you could, you tried to get away."

She shook her head. "Why the hell didn't you scream?" Damon asked. "I would've heard you."

"I was frozen," she said. "He snagged my ankle that's how I did this." And she held up her hands. "I fell, bumped my chin. It knocked me out or he did, I'm not sure. I called your name out once I think...although I may have imagined it. I was pretty out of it." Damon turned her head looked intensely at her eyes.

"You need to rest." She smacked his hand away.

"Don't you dare compel me Damon Salvatore! We talked about this!" She hollered, garnering everyone's attention.

"I wasn't, Elena." He chuckled. "Let me take you upstairs. You've been through quite the ordeal today." She shook her head, frowned at him.

"And so has Caroline and Carol and everybody else here." She protested.

"Maybe so," Alaric jumped in. "But Tyler also didn't render any of them unconscious. Or beat them all to hell." Damon nodded his agreement, crossing his arms. "No one will think any less of you, Elena." He whispered. Glancing back at the group they all gave her a little wave as if to say go and she hung her head in defeat.

"C'mon." Damon whispered. "I'll help you upstairs."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm perfectly capable of getting up there myself." She snapped.

"Yeah, but I know where I keep the painkillers." He told her. Rolling her eyes at him, she started up the stairs. She waved a quick goodbye to Ric and he heard them quibble back and forth all the way to the second floor. She was well taken care of. That was all he could ask for.

* * *

Sometime around noon, Elena woke in Damon's bed. She stretched, immediately regretting it as her sore knees and arms and elbows protested. Damon was stretched out beside her reading; she turned her head to see. Walt Whitman. "Any better?" He asked, closing the book and setting it aside. He burrowed down into the sheets to face her.

She grimaced. "A little." He frowned at her.

"It'd be even better if you took some pain pills…." He taunted.

"I'd rather not." She looked around, glanced at the clock. "Did everyone go home?" He nodded. She tried to sit up and winced as her elbow scraped the sheets.

"I can help with that you know."

She shook her head. "None of my injuries are life threatening." She argued. "I'll be fine."

"I don't like to see you suffering." He murmured.

"I'm not suffering Damon. I'm hurt. There's a little pain. I'll be fine." She reiterated.

"But," He began and she silenced him with a kiss. A gentle one, just a meeting of the lips really.

"Shut up." She whispered, scooting forward to meet his lips again.

"Gladly." He murmured against her mouth, threading his hands gently through her hair to hold her there. "Just to be clear though, you started this."

"Damon." She said as she nibbled on his lower lip. "Shut. Up." She trailed kisses down his neck, began to slowly unbutton his shirt, kissing the skin she exposed as she went. He groaned and reached for her hands gently avoiding her scraped palms. He pulled her up to him, laid her tenderly on her side.

"We should..." He tried again.

"Stop talking!" She laughed.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." he murmured. He reached for Elena's knee, hooked it over his hip. Rolling her gently onto her back, he followed. He deepened the kisses. The kind of kisses that made her forget the events of the past couple of hours. All she could think of was him. She reached down to unbutton the last few buttons of his shirt blindly. She pushed the two halves off of his shoulders, smoothed them down his muscular arms. A thrill ran through her as she ran her hands over his toned body. She raked her nails lightly across his abs and he shivered. She smiled. "You like?" He asked with a grin.

"Very much, Mr. Salvatore." She captured his lips with hers and sighed as his fingers trailed teasingly over the uncovered skin between the tops of her yoga pants and the bottom of her shirt. Goosebumps spread across her skin and she pulled him closer. He closed his eyes and sighed, his hands smoothed over her stomach. She inhaled deeply. Wedging his knee in between hers he shifted and settled his delicious weight on her lower half. She moaned at the sensations he was causing with his fingertips.

As his hands crept closer and closer to her bra, Elena lifted her body upwards straining towards him. He slowed then placing soft quick kisses along her jaw line. He continued down her throat, and across her collarbone. "Damon." She whispered. He looked up met her eyes, loved the fire he saw burning there.

"Elena," He said tenderly. Helping her sit up, he reached for the hem of her t-shirt. He searched her eyes for the okay. She bit her lip and nodded at him. Careful of her elbows and chin, he eased off her shirt, murmured his approval of her black lacy bra. She smiled and framed his face drawing him back down to her. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he leaned in, nipped it lightly.

"I want you," She murmured softly, then blushed as her brain caught up with her mouth. He smiled, traced the blush down her chest and a wave a lust crashed through her.

"You have me." He whispered. Sliding his hands up her back, he unhooked her bra sliding it off of her shoulders. He paused and took a second to look at her, she blushed again.

"You're staring again." She said, squirming a bit under his gaze. Their eyes locked and he shook his head.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. "You're perfect." He slid a hand down her body, over her curves. She closed the distance between their mouths. She pressed herself closer, loving the feel of his bare skin against hers. Damon reached in between them, tugged off her pants.

"You're very overdressed, sir." She said, and reached for the button on his jeans.

"We should rectify that." He chuckled.

"We should." She nodded; he smiled when her hands shook against his stomach as she unzipped his pants. Her eyes widened briefly and he grinned. It quickly left his face when she rocked her hips against his. He settled over her, not touching, not quite. Heat rolled off of his normally cool body and Elena soaked it in. She drifted her hands down his body, running over his muscled chest, his delicious abs and then lower. He sucked in a sharp breath and she smiled for a split second before he kissed her softly, deeply.

"Tell me to stop and I will." He whispered, cupping her cheek in his hand. She shook her head.

"I don't want you to stop." She arched her back when his hand drifted to her breasts; she ached for him and told him so. Her body was on fire and she wanted more. Keeping his eyes on hers, he pulled back to align himself and entered her with one thrust.

He took his time, loved her slowly until the pressure built higher and higher until she couldn't take it anymore. She cried out his name, gripped his back as he whispered encouragements into her ear. As she spiraled down, he found his release and held her tight. They lay together for a while afterwards, her loving the weight of his body on hers and him just relishing the feeling of finally being with the woman he loved. As she drifted off to sleep, he moved to the side and pulled her flush against him. Before he closed his eyes, succumbing to the wonderful afterglow he whispered, "I love you." And they both slept.

* * *

It was dark. Really, really dark. No light peered through the trees, no moon, no outdoor lighting, nothing. Bonnie pushed through the brush. Why was she out here? What had happened? She shivered with the cold as she wandered in a direction she felt drawn to. She had no idea where she was going. None. A tree branch snagged her shirt and Bonnie grunted as she tugged on it. Once it was free, she dug in her pockets for her cell phone. She could use the camera flash as a flashlight. Her search came up empty. She didn't have her phone? Why would she go anywhere without it?

Frustrated, she walked a little more carefully. She didn't want to trip over a root or twist her ankle in a hole. She sighed out loud. Where the hell was she? This was ridiculous. Was she being punished? The spirits had already taken most of her powers, was this some kind of test? Throw Bonnie into the wilderness see if she can make it out alive?

"Stupid spirits," she muttered under her breath. But if this is what it took to get her powers back or to work her way back into their good graces then so be it. She pushed a tree branch out of her way. She stopped suddenly. Duh. She was so mad at herself. She could try a small illumination spell. Why hadn't she thought of that ten minutes ago? It could work. She held out her hand, imagining a small ball of light forming in her palm. Closing her eyes she whispered the easy incantation. Hearing a small 'whoosh' she decided to peek with one eye first. "Yay!" Bonnie squealed as the small sphere glowed casting a bright white light in front of her.

Now she just had to figure out where the heck she was. The woods were uncharacteristic. She had no landmarks to go by, couldn't hear water running so she was nowhere near the Falls. Sighing she trudged on, hoping she was going in the right direction. She was walking swiftly now, sure of her footing with her ball of light. As she walked she hummed to herself, a welcome distraction in the dead quiet night.

She guessed she had been walking for a good half hour when she stumbled. Her ball of light extinguished quickly, drenching her in darkness. Panicked, Bonnie began the incantation once more, envisioning the light in her palm. Again with a soft whoosh the ball reappeared. Bonnie's sigh of relief was heartfelt. Holding her palm out she looked around in a circle, trying again to decipher her location.

She quickly found the object that she had stumbled over. It was a large rock. Oh, no. Dread began to fill her whole body. She knew where she was now. Behind the boarding house. Was this why she was here? The rock had been positioned at the end of a large mound of dirt. Oh no. She stepped back. The mound of dirt had been freshly disturbed. It looked almost as though it had imploded. Like something had dug its way out. No, not something. Someone. Tyler.

Bonnie backed up quickly. No. Damon had killed him. Hadn't he? He'd ripped out his heart. Caroline had seen it, Elena had seen it. Tyler was dead. There was no way he had lived. No way he had crawled up out of his grave. Oh, God. She had to tell Damon. Had to warn everyone. Now. She turned to run to the house when a hand covered her mouth.

Bonnie screamed. And sat straight up in her bed. Her hand flew to cover her racing heart. She took a deep, deep breath and let it out slowly. She looked around her bedroom reassuringly. Everything was in its place. She sighed and leaned back against her pillows. When she went to close her eyes, they shot back open. She turned her lamp on beside her bed flooding the room with light.

"It was just a nightmare." She whispered to no one. "It was just a nightmare."

One that had felt so real.

**Say what? Crazy witchy. Always having those weird dreams. **

**Lemons? I have come to the conclusion that I'm too self conscious to write lemons. Haha, I kept laughing at myself while writing it because it all just seemed so silly. =/ Don't judge me too harshly. And I realize it was probably very basic. It's a learning process right? : )**

**And that fight scene? Not how I'd planned on it going….but I think we've established that this fic has a mind of its own. **

**Hope you liked it! More craziness to ensue. (I'm already halfway through the next chapter!) So stay tuned…..**

**Oh! And feel free to leave me some love! **


	21. Chapter 21

**This one's been done for a while and it's a little bit shorter…sorry! But it covers the basics and I tried to add more it just didn't feel right…so on with the show! **

Bonnie woke early the next morning. Glancing at her alarm clock, she groaned. She didn't feel rested at all. After debating briefly on taking a sick day she sat up, swung her legs out onto the floor. She sat there for a minute, feeling extremely reluctant to leave her warm soft sheets. She looked back at her pillow longingly and stood. After stretching, she took a step towards her dresser. Her left foot protested. "Ouch." She fussed, placing her hands on the dresser for support. Her sock covered her foot, so she couldn't tell if there was anything wrong with the surface at least. She hadn't done anything strenuous.

She plopped back down on the bed, peeled off her sock. Maybe she had kicked her bed post in the middle of the night. She would have remembered that though, right? She winced as the sock scraped her toes. There were scratches on her feet. So she had kicked something. What the hell? She ran through the night's events quickly in her head. She and Jeremy had hung out for a little while but she hadn't done anything to her foot.

She looked up at the mirror. No way. She grabbed the hem of her shirt, poked her finger through the new holes that appeared there. No way. That dream wasn't real! It was just a nightmare. It hadn't actually happened. Had it?

She snatched her phone up off of her nightstand. She hit speed dial 5. He answered on the second ring. "Hey, I was just thinking about you." She would have smiled, but under the circumstances she was freaking out. "Do you think we could meet somewhere before school?"

"Jer. I need you to meet me at Damon's." She said hurriedly.

"Oh. Really? I don't want to interrupt the love fest over there. Elena didn't come home last night. And may I just say ew!" He laughed.

"Jer. It's important. Please?" she pleaded as she stood and tugged on a pair of jeans.

"Yeah, I guess. I can be there in ten minutes."

"Thanks. See you there." And she disconnected.

* * *

Elena scooted back into Damon's warmth. His cool breath ruffled her hair and she smiled luxuriously. "Good morning." He whispered.

"Mmm," she murmured. "Good morning to you." He tightened his hold around her waist and she turned in his arms to face him. She reached up to caress his face, brush her hand over his hair. "So I'm not dreaming." She said with a smile.

He laughed softly at her. "I think that's my line." She shook her head, tipped her chin up for a kiss. He didn't deny her. He propped himself up on his elbow, leaned down over her and traced her smile with his finger. "You make me so happy." He said so softly, low enough she almost didn't hear.

Her smile turned to a grin. "Sex makes you happy?" She teased.

"Sex makes me feel good. You," he emphasized, leaning down to kiss the tip of her nose, "make me happy." She pulled him down to kiss him, ran her hands through his hair, tugging on the ends gently. "You're gonna miss school." He murmured against her lips, running a hand down her side, curling a hand over her hip.

She moaned in his ear, tilted her head back as he kissed his way down her throat. "Don't care."

"My little rebel." He whispered as he rolled onto his back, tugged her with him. She straddled his hips, leaned down and placed her finger over his lips, effectively shushing him.

"You talk entirely too much." She said with a mischievous smile. "Whatever are we going to do about that?" He rocked his hips which quickly wiped the smile off of her face.

"I don't know. You should show me." He beamed at her.

And she did.

* * *

Jeremy was slightly confused by Bonnie's weird phone call but his life was just one big ball of weird. Nothing strange there. He pulled up behind Elena's car and parked. Before he even got out of the car he spotted Bonnie in the clearing behind the house. Frowning he stepped out and shut the door softly. He held his hands up in a shrug. What was going on?

She waved for him to follow her and he did. Glancing at the house everything appeared to be in order. No bloody murder screams, no yelling, yup. All must be well. Bonnie disappeared into the woods and Jeremy followed behind her. "Where are we going, Bonnie? What is going on?" He called once they were a ways into the woods. He opted for humor. "I know this whole seeing dead people thing weirds you out but you don't have to drag me out into the woods and beat me." He laughed. Bonnie didn't. He saw her in the clearing up ahead and continued until he reached her side.

He stopped and stared at the mess before him, taking a little longer than expected. "Tyler's grave? Bonnie, what's this ab-." He dropped off, ran a hand over his face. "Oh hell."

* * *

Elena pulled on one of Damon's button up shirts, rolled the sleeves up to her elbow and tugged on a pair of jeans. She quickly ran Damon's brush through her hair and used his toothbrush to brush her teeth. After rinsing her mouth she stood and glanced in the mirror. He was watching her, bare-chested behind her in a pair of lounge pants slung low over his hips. Elena grinned at him.

"You look good in my shirt," he murmured. She turned, braced her arms behind her and hopped up onto the counter. He sauntered over to her, stood in between her legs.

"You look good without it." She whispered, running a finger down his sternum and his chest. She stopped when she reached his waistband.

"You don't have to stop." He groaned, resting his forehead against hers.

"I know." She said softly. "But if I don't, we'll never see the light of day again." She said, tugging on the drawstrings of his pants bringing him closer.

"Daylight is so overrated." He smirked, brushing a kiss over her cheek, then her ear. He nuzzled her neck.

She laughed. "Very. But...for the next seven months at least? I have school. And you…" she poked him lightly his chest, "made a very convincing argument for Chicago and Northwestern earlier. And I can't get in if I don't go to school." She half pouted and grinned when she saw his lips turn down into a frown.

"I was an idiot earlier. Who needs school? I'll give you all the education you need." He slowly began to unbutton her shirt, kissing her collarbone as he went.

Elena giggled, pushed him back. "I have to go." she whispered.

"I like seeing this side of you." He said quietly, stopping to look into her eyes.

"The naked side?" She smirked.

"Well, I'm growing quite fond of that side to be honest. But no, seeing you relaxed, carefree, laughing and playful. I'm glad you feel comfortable with me." Elena could read the truth in his eyes and she nodded at him.

"I'm glad you make me feel this way again." She said reaching up to kiss him softly. Then she pushed him back lightheartedly. "Now let me up, I have to go."

"No." He fussed, pulling her half opened shirt to him and peering down inside. She smacked his hand.

"Mr. Salvatore!" she exclaimed, clasping the shirt to her chest. "Your behavior is appalling!" She feigned annoyance, hopped off the counter. She spirited away, but not before he swatted her on the ass. She shrieked and ran down the stairs, headed for the kitchen when the knock on the door sounded.

Elena bounded over to open the door and was somewhat shocked to see Bonnie and Jeremy standing there on the front porch. The look on Jeremy's face was alarming and Elena's heart started pounding.

"What is it? What happened? Ric? Caroline? Matt?" She ran off the list of important names, opened the door wide to let them in. When Bonnie raised her eyebrows at her, Elena frowned and looked down. Her bra was exposed in the wide open v of her half unbuttoned shirt. Elena gasped and pulled the two edges together, briskly buttoning it back up. Bonnie gave her a small smile and nodded past her at Damon who had appeared quietly behind her. Elena turned to hold onto him tightly; absentmindedly relieved he had stopped to put a shirt on.

"What's going on Sabrina?" Damon asked, holding Elena's hand and squeezing it when she shot him a worried look.

"We have a problem." Jeremy said softly. He glanced quickly at Bonnie.

"A big problem." Bonnie reiterated.

"Out with it, people. I'm getting bored." Damon remarked crossing his arms.

"Tyler's not dead." Bonnie whispered.

Damon humphed. "That's not funny." He uncrossed his arms, stalked over to stand in front of her.

"She's not joking." Jeremy said. "Come with us." With a quick glance at Elena, Jeremy walked through the house and out the back door. Damon followed close behind, taking the lead as they exited the house. Bonnie reached for Elena's hand and held it tight as they made their way out to the gravesite.

Upon reaching the disturbed gravesite, Damon growled and kicked the rock that had served as the grave marker sending it flying through the trees. Bonnie winced. Elena covered her mouth in horror.

"This better not be Barbie's doing." Damon hissed. "I killed that were freak. Ripped out his heart." He turned around to face them. "He's dead. He's just been moved." He glared at Bonnie. "Get Caroline over here now." He stalked off, fueled with rage. "I'll call the Mayor."

* * *

They all gathered in the study. Damon paced in front of the fire. A glass filled with bourbon shook slightly in his hand. He was livid. Caroline careened around the corner of the room stopped and stared. "What's going on?" She asked. "What's wrong?"

"What did you do?" Damon growled. He stopped his pacing, glanced at Elena who was presently curled up into a ball on the sofa. It enraged him more.

"What the hell are you talking about, Damon? I didn't do anything!" she yelled.

"With Tyler, Caroline. What did you do with Tyler?" Caroline's face paled, her mouth dropped open.

"Why would you ask me that?" She whispered. "Did something happen? What's going on?" Silence fell around the room as it sunk in. Elena looked up at Damon with big, sad eyes. If Caroline hadn't moved him then that meant...

"He's gone, Care." Elena said softly. "His grave is disturbed and he's not in it."

"What?" She shrieked. She sunk down into a chair and covered her face. "That's not possible He was dead, you killed him! Oh, this is not good." She said glancing at Damon.

"No shit, Sherlock." He quipped sarcastically.

"We don't know anything yet." Alaric said, stepping into the middle of the room, he held up his hand. "Let's not jump to conclusions."

"It's not jumping to conclusions, Ric." Damon said, sitting down next to Elena, throwing his arm around her shoulders. "His body's gone. I already talked to Carol. She's not involved. Either he's alive or someone's playing a very nasty trick on us. I'm willing to go with the former."

"Well, what about Katherine? Would she be capable?" Jeremy offered.

"Katherine and Elijah are in Tahiti, last I heard. She wouldn't play this kind of trick." Damon sighed, he rubbed Elena's arm reassuringly. "You all should be safe in your own homes; he hasn't been invited into any of them as a vampire." Damon remarked. "Try and stay in pairs, he's less likely to attack if there's someone there who can put up a fight." He looked pointedly at Elena. "You can't stay here. You're not safe here."

"Neither are you." She whispered.

"I can handle myself." He told her, with a soft smile. "I'll probably stay at your house anyway, keep an eye out." He narrowed his eyes at Bonnie. "Sabrina, can we track him?"

"I can try." She said, glancing quickly at Jeremy. "I just have to run back to my house, get my Grimoire."

"See if you can use your witchy juju to determine a way to kill him too. Permanently." Damon stood. "I need to make a call. We can reconvene at the Gilbert house after you have more information. Class dismissed." Elena followed him into his study. She curled into his armchair in front of his desk, watched him as he scrolled through the contacts in his phone.

"Who are you calling?"

"Elijah." Elena's perplexed look prompted an explanation. "He knows more than he let on. His warning to you in the basement meant something. I plan on finding out what it is." He hit dial, placed it on speaker and leaned against his desk. It went to voicemail. Shit. "Elijah. It's Damon. We have a problem. Call me." At Elena's pointed look the corner of his mouth lifted into a half smile and he added. "Please." She nodded and reached for his hand, squeezed. After ending the call, he squatted down in front of the chair she sat in. Running a hand lovingly over her face, he frowned. "He's going to come after you to get back at me." He whispered softly. She leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded sadly.

"I know. It's not me I'm worried about." She pressed her lips to his, coaxed a gentle kiss from him. He smiled at her. "Can we just crawl back into bed and pretend none of this ever happened?"

"God, I wish we could." He said. Standing up, he tugged on her hand. "C'mon. I need to pack a few things; we should get you over to your house." He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, noted as they trekked up the stairs that the house had emptied out again. After throwing a few things into his bag plus a bottle of liquor or two, she grabbed her things and with one last forlorn glance at the bed they left his room.

As they trudged down the stairs, Damon looked longingly at the leather couches in the study. He stopped in the opening, stepped down. Elena frowned at him. He tugged her to him, dropped his bag. "What are you doing?" she asked, as he started unbuttoning her shirt…again.

"We should finish what we started here the other night. We're never going to have any privacy once we get to your house." He murmured, kicking off his boots. "And I hate to be the one to tell you this _tesoro_, because I love the noises you make but you're not exactly quiet." Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to dispute his comment when he kissed her. She melted into him and helped him pull his shirt over his head. He sat down on the couch, drew her onto his lap.

Framing his face with her hands she leaned forward drew his bottom lip into her mouth. His low growl was exactly what she was going for. She leaned back in his arms and grinned at him. "You're not exactly quiet yourself, Damon."

He chuckled softly in her ear, "Quieter than you." She shook her head with a smile, nuzzled his neck kissed her way up to his ear and nipped his earlobe lightly. Something she knew from the past 24 hours drove him absolutely insane. His moan was restrained, softer than the sounds he had made recently. "See?"

"Hmm, maybe when you're concentrating." She countered. A naughty idea popped into her head. "Let's see how it works when I do this."

* * *

Tyler glanced at the girl next to him. Her heart had stopped beating several hours ago. He didn't care to move her just yet. She was his third 'snack' since he'd woken up in his makeshift grave. He had lost to Damon, because Caroline had helped him! Caroline! The person he had trusted most in the whole group had betrayed him. Snapping her neck had been a temporary setback for her. Wouldn't harm her or have long lasting results at all! He had done her a favor, he had given her plausible deniability that she knew anything about his escape or plans to escape.

The next time he and Damon tangled, things would be different. Damon wouldn't have any help. It would be just the two of them; he'd make sure of it. And oh, the tables would be turned. He wouldn't let Damon get the upper hand; no he was going to make it slow and painful exactly how he had described the death of Mason. He'd rip his heart out. Apparently that wasn't enough to kill a hybrid and Tyler couldn't be happier about that. At least there was some kind of perks to this crap. But ripping out the heart of a plain old vampire? Instantaneous death.

First he had to come up with a plan. He'd separate Elena from the group; Damon was reckless when things happened to Elena. And a reckless Damon was a dead Damon.

* * *

Damon tucked Elena closer into his side. "Told ya." He murmured. Slightly irritated, she smacked his chest. He just laughed at her. "Fun experiment though. We should try it again soon." She scrunched up her nose at him. "Aw, someone's not a sore loser, are they?" He asked tickling the side of her stomach. She smacked him again, impervious to the tickling.

"We should go somewhere." She whispered softly, looking up at him with a smile. "Once all this is settled. Just leave for a couple of days turn off our phones…." She ran her hands through his hair, "what do you think?"

He kissed the tip of her nose, "I think that sounds amazing. Anywhere in particular?"

"Anywhere but here." She sighed.

A knock sounded on the front door and Elena tried to sit up. Problem was, Damon was still half lying on top of her. He frowned and stood, pulling his jeans back on. "What if it's Tyler?" She hissed, hurriedly buttoning her shirt back up. Damon grinned at her, chucked her chin.

"Not likely." He laughed. He walked over to the door. "Psychotic killers don't knock." He opened the door and stood there staring. Elena panicked. He whispered softly. "I stand corrected." Elena bee lined around the corner stopped inches from Damon. She reached out for him, needed something to hold onto. Her jaw dropped in shock.

"Stefan."

** You all knew that was coming….so no real big cliffy there! **

**Ok, so question: Damon called her sweetheart before they were together and I want the change to reflect in the endearment. I don't want to use 'love' because it's just too Original-esque. I like babe or baby but it just doesn't seem very Damon. Tesoro means sweetheart or treasure in Italian. What do you think Damon would/should use? Do you like tesoro? **

**Thanks for reading and your reviews! I love hearing your feedback! **


	22. Chapter 22

**I absolutely loved reading all of the reviews and opinions on the last chapter, keep 'em coming! **

Jeremy sat and watched Bonnie chant. She wasn't shutting him out anymore. Thank God. The last few days had been really rough and he was glad to have someone to talk to. Especially since his sister hadn't been around much lately. He was happy for her, happy that she was happy. He just missed her. Ric was cool and all, but he didn't really feel comfortable discussing Bonnie and his girl problems with him.

He hadn't seen Anna in a while. Probably because he didn't want to see her. He wanted to be with Bonnie and that was that. Anna had been pretty upset about it but Jeremy had been firm. After telling him that she'd be around Anna had just faded away. He hadn't seen her since.

Blood began to trickle from Bonnie's nose, a common side effect of too much witchcraft. He didn't dare disturb her though. She was too concentrated, too involved. And if she was in the middle of a conversation with Emily or the Original Witch he didn't want to disrupt that interrogation. Her eyes flew open and Jeremy scrambled to stand. He walked over to her.

"Do you know where he is? What did you find out?"

"No. I can't track him." She whispered. "But I might know how to kill him."

* * *

Stefan kept staring at her. Self consciously Elena ran her hands over her slightly matted hair. Sex hair. She smoothed it and checked to make sure her shirt was buttoned up correctly. She had skipped a button. Shit. Damon leaned against the door, seemingly relaxed and casual, but Elena knew him too well. He was wound tight. He watched Elena with a wary eye.

"Welcome home, brother." Damon said quietly.

Stefan glanced quickly at Damon and returned his gaze back to Elena. "I'm so sorry." He said. "For everything. Can I come in? Can we talk?" Elena turned to look at Damon and watched his eyes ice over and his face clear of all emotion. Her heart tightened painfully in her chest.

"Actually, we were just leaving. There've been some developments. You'd know about them if you'd been here. I need to get Elena somewhere safe. I'll be back to deal with you later." Damon remarked, going to pick up Elena's bag with her laptop in it. He left his sitting on the steps. She stared after him in disappointment.

"Damon." She hissed.

"No, it's okay Elena." Stefan held up his hand. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Yeah." Damon remarked as he turned to walk out of the door. "Leave." He held out his hand to Elena. "Let's go." She frowned at Damon turned back to Stefan.

"I'm glad you're home." She said. "I'll see you later." She pointedly ignored Damon's hand and marched to her car. Climbing in the passenger seat, she slammed the door but looked back at Stefan. When Damon climbed in she turned to glare at him. "That was rude." Damon ignored her pushing the radio button to turn on some music. She reached forward to turn it off. He turned it back on again. She crossed her arms and turned to face him. "Are you not going to speak to me?" She asked. He turned the music up louder. Elena turned to look out the window. "Fine."

Pulling the car into her driveway, he got out, came around and opened her door. He carried her bag in, trailing behind her. She unlocked the door, stepped inside and watched him as he dropped her bag on the chair by the door and turned to walk out. "That's it? After the last twenty four hours, you don't have anything to say to me before you just walk out the door?"

He looked over his shoulder at her and for a split second she saw the pain and confusion in his eyes. It cleared quickly and was replaced by the blank, icy face she hadn't seen on him in months. It broke her heart. She didn't understand what had changed in the last half hour. Yes, Stefan was back but what did that have to do with them? "Stay put." He told her.

She whispered. "Please be careful." But he was already gone.

* * *

Caroline stormed into the Salvatore house. "Damon!" she yelled. "I think I might know where Tyler might go!" She slammed the door, threw her purse on the first open chair and stomped into the kitchen. She stopped dead in her tracks. Stefan sat at the breakfast bar, leaning over a cup of what smelled like coffee. "Stefan?" She whispered softly. He lifted his head.

"Hey, Care." She rushed him, wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank God you're back!" She told him. "Damon's been an ass!" She smacked him upside his head. "What the hell is the matter with you?" She asked, plopping down onto the barstool beside him.

"It's good to see you too." He said softly. "Some things got switched around. I was lost and didn't know who to turn to. I'm back because I need help. And who better to help than friends and family?"

"And Elena?" She whispered, reaching up on the counter to squeeze his hand.

He let out a long sigh, "I'm not holding out hope. I hurt her, Caroline, but I was only trying to protect her. Klaus would've..." he shook his head. "I just want to be a part of her life. In whatever capacity I can." Caroline leaned her head on his shoulder. It wasn't up to her to divulge the relationship that had building between his brother and his ex girlfriend. But she could still be his friend.

"Touching speech, brother." Damon murmured from the kitchen entrance. They both looked in his direction. Caroline noted the difference in Damon's demeanor immediately. Damon was tense, threatened by his brother's return. Awesome, she thought. More drama, just what we need. "I'm pretty sure I said reconvene at the Gilbert house, Barbie." Damon muttered, strolling over to the liquor cabinet.

"Yeah, well I have some potentially important info and I thought you and Elena might still be..." She stopped and stared at Stefan who was staring at Damon. "Discussing strategies." She finished lamely.

Damon glared at her. "You thought wrong. Shocker." He said, downing a glass of bourbon and immediately fixing himself another. "Elena's safe at home. Spill."

"Tyler told me about this place he used to take girls when he wanted to..."

"Get laid?" Damon interjected.

"Get away from his parents." She finished.

Damon rolled his eyes. "That's what he would tell a potential girlfriend. Where is it?" He asked.

"Whatever. It's about an hour drive from here. A cabin right outside the county limits." Damon slammed his glass down.

"He's a vampire, Barbie. He'd have to be invited in by the owner." Damon glared at her.

"I know this, grumpy. He _is_ the owner, his dad left it to him in the will. And since he's the sole owner and he's dead there's no one to invite him in. He's free to enter." She tossed her head.

"Perfect." He snagged his keys off of the counter. "Let's go, Barbie." She slid off the barstool.

"Wait a minute. We're going now? Is that wise?" She shrieked.

"What the hell is going on here?" Stefan asked, finally speaking up.

"Yes. Probably not. None of your business." Damon answered them both.

"If it involves you and everybody else I care about then it is my business." Stefan countered.

"If it was your business, you would've been here when it all went down." Damon retorted. Stefan frowned. Damon turned to Caroline.

"Shouldn't we talk to Bonnie first?" Caroline asked.

"Why? Do we need a spirit guide? No. I'm going to tranq the hell out of him until Witchy figures out how to kill him and then I'm going to kill him. Sound simple enough? Alright. You're coming with. Let's go." And Damon waltzed out the door. Caroline hugged Stefan quickly.

"I'll text you. Catch you up. Don't go anywhere, okay?" He nodded and sighed.

"I'll be right here."

* * *

Elena sighed heavily, unbuttoned Damon's shirt and threw it in her hamper. She quickly shed her other clothes and climbed into her hot shower. School was definitely not an option at this point. It was past noon and there was no reason for her to go just to attend fifth and sixth period. She could get her assignments from Ric. He was on good terms with most of her teachers.

She used her shower as a time to think. The look on Damon's face as he'd left still haunted her. There was no doubt in her mind that Damon was shocked at Stefan's return. No more shocked than her, though. Elena had resigned herself to not seeing Stefan again. Probably ever. His reappearance was a jolt to her system. Stefan had looked so utterly lost. And there she was looking like she had just screwed his brother, which she had. But still, how awkward for all parties involved.

Did she still care for him? Yes. Stefan was and always would be a major player in the workings of her heart. But a new major player had taken up residence, and he worked continuously to stay there.

Damon had no excuse for not speaking to her on the ride to her house. None at all. She had done nothing wrong. She hadn't run into Stefan's arms crying over his return. She had moved closer to Damon for support, clung to his arm. Maybe that had thrown him off. But her intention had been support for the both of them. .

Damon was jealous. Had to be. But Stefan wasn't the same person he'd made himself out to be when they first met. Stefan had shunned his inner bad boy refusing to acknowledge the monster within. He suppressed it for as long as he could before the Ripper took over. That was his downfall. Damon had never pretended to be anything other than what he was. It was one of the many differences she could name between the two brothers.

Elena stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her chest tucking the tail end in between her breasts. She stood in front of the fogged mirror and began dragging the comb through her tangled locks. Her phone buzzed and she glanced over at it quickly. Her heart accelerated hoping it was Damon with some sort of apology. Imagine her disappointment when she realized it wasn't him.

_Tyler's alive. Stefan's back. Damon's pissy. Maybe we do live in the Hellmouth. –Care_

Elena huffed and replied quickly.

_Tell me about it. Or the Twilight Zone. –E_

She finished combing her hair and waltzed out of the bathroom into her room. She heard voices from the kitchen and dressed hurriedly, eager to discover the new developments.

_Definitely one of the two. Damon feels threatened by Stefan's return. It's so obvious. I thought you guys sealed the deal yest? –Care_

Elena made an unladylike noise and texted her back.

_I know. And that deserves an in person discussion not a convo via text.-E _

She didn't have to wait long for the reply.

_You suck. Omw w/ lover boy (the 2__nd__) to Lockwood cabin….will have to save convo for later. STAY INSIDE. 3 you!_

Elena shook her head, slipped her phone in her back pocket and skipped down the stairs. Bonnie and Jeremy sat at the table poring over her Grimoire. Elena slid onto a chair across from Bonnie.

"Anything?" She asked, reaching up to cover Bonnie's hand with her own.

"Kind of." She said. "Apparently the only way to kill a hybrid is to decapitate them."  
Elena grimaced, Bonnie nodded. "I know. And to be on the safe side, because there's no real evidence anywhere I think we should burn the remains too."

"Wow. That's harsh." Elena whispered.

"Yeah, well. He's a danger to everyone he comes in contact with. Not just us." Jeremy offered.

"I know." She turned to Bonnie. "Are you able to track him?"

"No," Bonnie admitted, "but Caroline and Damon are currently en route to the Lockwood cabin out by the lake. They think he might be there."

Elena nodded, "Caroline just texted me." Jeremy was staring at her. Elena frowned at him. "What?"

"Do you know…? Were you there…? Did you see…?" He couldn't finish a sentence to save his life.

"Stefan's back. Yes, I know. Yes, I was there. And yes, I saw him." Elena told them, shrugged. "It's quite a shock, but he needs our help. So, I plan on helping him." Bonnie squeezed Elena's hand.

"What about Damon?" Jeremy asked.

"Right now he's being an ass." Elena huffed. "But he'll get over it. Stefan's his brother and though he probably won't admit it, but he loves him unconditionally and he'll help him any way he can." She stood to pour a glass of juice and make herself a quick sandwich. She hadn't eaten anything all day. Damon had ordered her a pizza last night, neither of them wanting to go anywhere or to leave bed long enough to cook anything. They'd enjoyed lots of extracurricular activities over the past 24 hours. And even though she was still mad as hell at him, she smiled just thinking about it.

Alaric walked in the front door, handed them each a folder. He set down his bag, pulled out some papers and began to grade them on the couch. They thanked him and set the folders aside. Bonnie returned to her Grimoire searching for answers that were most likely not there. Elena ate her sandwich quickly, sat down with her folder and began working on her school work. All she could really do was sit and wait anyway. The least she could do was keep up with everything.

Northwestern was appealing to her more and more. Damon had offered her a place to stay though she was pretty sure they required their freshman to live on campus. There was nothing to stop her from living in the dorms, and commuting to his place though. She got excited just thinking about it. The only issue was the finances which she still had some money left over from her parent's and Jenna's life insurance policies. After paying off the house and what was left of her car, she still had a good chunk left in the bank. That could at least get her started. She could apply for student loans for the rest.

She just needed to keep her grades up and maybe attend school more than one or two days a week. Easier said than done.

* * *

Caroline glanced over at Damon again. He still had the same expression on his face he had when they got in the car almost an hour ago. She could sum it up in one word: pissy. Rolling her eyes, she pretended to examine her nails.

"I'm sure you're ecstatic that your brother's back."

"Yup. Stoked." Damon quipped, turning left as she pointed in that direction.

"She's in love with you, you know." Caroline said softly. Damon turned his had to glare at her. He was about to reply when they pulled onto the gravel driveway. It was a short driveway to the log cabin. Damon stopped the car halfway up, exited the car quickly. They shut the doors softly. Caroline carried a tranq gun loaded with enough Vervain to knock Tyler out for a week. Damon had a syringe in his pocket. His intentions weren't to keep him alive for very long. In fact, this seemed like a remote enough location to chop off his head and burn the remains.

Damon pointed his finger at Caroline, indicated for her to follow behind him. She nodded, and together they both crept up to the house. It was silent inside but that meant absolutely nothing. Vampires were inherently quiet. Well, maybe with the exception of Caroline. Damon glanced back at her. She was always talking. He was grateful she was silent today though. She knew the seriousness of this mission. It was kill or be killed. And no matter how much Caroline cared for Tyler she recognized the danger that he represented for everyone.

He could smell the blood a mile away. The scent was not subtle and Tyler definitely hadn't been trying to hide it. Pushing the door open, Damon listened for noise. Nothing. He was stealthy in his entry and subsequent search of the house. He walked each room, Tyler wasn't here. As he breached the last room the bedroom at the end of the hall, the stench of death hit them both hard.

Shaking his head sadly, Damon opened the door and sighed. Piled on the floor next to the bed were three dead girls, not one over 25. All were still fully clothed but their necks had been savagely torn apart. Little to no blood pooled beneath them. He hadn't left anything to pool. Damon kicked the bed, irritated that they had missed him. He had been here. And recently based on the congealing blood on the last girl.

There was no way to know if he'd come back. No way to tell where he was going. He turned back to Caroline and saw the dismay written on her pretty face. "Look for clues. I doubt he left anything but maybe he's just stupid enough to point us in the right direction." Damon said. "I'm gonna look around outside, see if I can find any tracks." As he passed by her, he rested his hand on her shoulder, squeezed. "We'll get him, Care." He told her and then he left her alone with her sorrow.

* * *

He'd walked around the house several times over already. There were no signs of directionality, no footprints, nothing. They were right back to where they had fucking started. Damon wanted to kick something. Wanted to throw something, but there was nothing around the house he could throw. Tyler was somewhere out there begging to be killed and Bonnie had no way to track him. They had nothing. Nothing! He stood in the open field behind the cabin and stared up at the sky.

He resisted digging in his jacket pocket for his phone. He desperately wanted to call Elena, discuss their findings with her, and bounce ideas for their next move off of her. But he refused. He had seen the happiness in her gaze when she had seen Stefan. He had watched her closely. She'd even reached out to hold onto him she was so shocked. He shook his head. He should have known. Leave it to Stefan to come back and mess everything up. Everything. The past day with Elena? It had been his version of heaven on Earth. She was everything he had ever dreamed she would be. The sex had been nothing short of amazing. Their chemistry both in bed and out of bed was off the charts. And his brother waltzes in the door and everything comes to a screeching halt.

Jealousy was an emotion he was familiar with. Too familiar. Katherine had made sure of that. And now just when he thought he had won Elena over, his brother reenters the picture. Elijah had let him know that Stefan was with them, so Damon would know his approximate whereabouts and that he was taken care of. And that was the last Damon had thought of him. Until he showed up and ruined the best thing Damon had going for him. His relationship with Elena had just begun. And with Stefan back? Damon was almost certain it was over. He heard a bottle of bourbon calling his name. Hell, maybe two bottles.

Caroline emerged from the house, reeking of disappointment. Damon blew out a long breath. He gestured at the car. "There's nothing here." They both walked back to the car in silence. Caroline got in and before Damon slid into the driver's seat he whipped out his phone.

_Can we talk later?-D_

The response took a while, but it was a relief nonetheless.

_Of course, finishing up some work. See you in an hour? _

He typed out a reply.

_See you then. -D_

* * *

Elena finished off her last calculus problem and shut her book soundly. She looked up at Bonnie and Matt. Everyone looked as tired as she felt. Of course neither of them had had marathon sex last night. At least she didn't think they had. But the trials and tribulations of being part of this Mystic Falls disaster prone group kept everyone on their toes and utterly exhausted. You never knew what would pop up in this crazy town.

Elena stood, stretched and began to make a quick and easy dinner. Three cheese tortellini with marinara. She preheated the oven for garlic bread. Jeremy and Alaric drifted in from the living room. "Smells good." Alaric said. Caroline strolled in the back door, shutting it firmly behind her. Elena watched it for a solid minute when Caroline caught her eye, shook her head. Disappointment filled Elena's heart. She turned back to her cooking before anyone else could see.

"Care. Did you find him?" Matt was the first one to speak. Elena didn't need to see or hear Caroline's response. She knew they hadn't found him. Silence filled the room. The oven beeped letting Elena know her toast was finished. She pulled out the baking sheet and set it on the counter. After draining the tortellini, she set everything out on the counter, pulled down some plates.

"Dinner's ready." She said, and without another word she slipped upstairs. She heard Alaric murmur something after her and Bonnie's soft response. She didn't want their pity or their noses in her business. Though honestly, they had nothing better to speculate on. What else could they do while they waited for Tyler to reappear? The chances of him taking off and never returning were slim. He was out for blood. Damon's blood. And he would most likely stop at nothing to get it, regardless of who in his former circle he hurt.

Elena reached her room and hesitated. Something was off, someone was in her room. She opened her door, praying she'd find Damon on the other side. She was wrong.

* * *

Tyler watched Damon knock on the door and enter the house. He'd followed him here. He'd had a good laugh earlier when Caroline and Damon had found the bodies he left behind. He had figured either Caroline or his mom would remember the cabin and send someone out to look for him. He had placed his bet on Alaric accompanying Damon though, not Caroline.

It would have been so easy to grab Damon and drag him back to the cabin. Torture him for hours. It made him giddy with glee planning it. He had spent hours thinking about the ways he could torture him. But the timing wasn't right. No one would know Damon had gone missing if Tyler had grabbed him then. No, he'd wait. Damon would come to him. He'd make sure of it.

He abandoned his hiding place and strolled up the street. No one was looking for him, not right this minute. But they would be soon.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" She asked, swiftly shutting the door behind her.

"I needed to see you." Stefan stood, held his hands up in a peace offering. "Wanted to talk to you. No one will tell me what the hell is going on around here." He sat back down on her window seat. The one that Damon loved to perch on. She didn't want to sit on the bed. She wasn't comfortable enough around him for that. She sat on the chair in front of her desk. He stared at her for a while. "You look good." He said quietly. "Happy." At her frown, he smiled softly. "At least you seemed it this morning, maybe not now." She blushed remembering what she and Damon had been doing minutes before Stefan had appeared.

"Yeah." She whispered. "It's been slow going," she admitted. "But I got there. I got back to happy." He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I'm so glad. I really am, Elena."

She looked away; slightly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going. "So, you want to know what you missed?" He nodded again and she gave him the cliff notes version of the most recent events.

"You're sure Damon removed his heart?" Stefan asked.

"Positive. I was no more than twenty five feet away. He removed it completely."

"Completely?" He reiterated.

Elena threw up her hands in frustration. "I don't know, Stefan! I think so! I was kind of terrified at the moment. He had his hands wrapped around Damon's throat, his teeth were bared! I was afraid Damon would die." Elena took a shuddering breath. Stefan walked over, squatted in front of her. Elena jumped up, uncomfortable with his nearness.

"Elena." Stefan sighed. "I'm sorry I left. I did what I did because…"

"I know why you left, Stefan. You left to save your brother." She said, standing over by the door. He didn't approach her again.

"I don't blame you, you know." He whispered. Elena turned towards him.

"What?" She asked, slightly puzzled.

"I don't blame you. For sleeping him." Her jaw dropped.

"What?"

"He can be quite charismatic."

Oh, Jesus. "Seriously, Stefan?"

"Don't patronize me and deny it, Elena." He smiled a self-deprecating smile, sighed. "It was pretty obvious what the two of you had been doing this morning." Elena bit her lip, covered her face with her hands. "I'm okay with it."

Elena lowered her hands so she could see over the tips of her fingers. "You're okay with it?" She asked incredulously.

He laughed sarcastically. "No. No, not really." He whispered. "But I've done things I'm not proud of. I've made mistakes too, Elena."

Angry now, Elena pointed her finger at Stefan accusingly. "I didn't make a mistake, Stefan. Damon wasn't….isn't a mistake." She huffed. "I'm not sorry."

"You shouldn't be." He said, sitting back down on the window seat. He laced his fingers together, something she'd seen Damon do so often. Her heart squeezed inside of her chest. She wanted to see him so bad, and he was nowhere to be found. And they were both too prideful to contact the other.

Stefan ran a hand through his artfully styled hair. She smiled thinking of multiple quips Damon would have made right now. She shook her head to clear it. She was deep in a conversation with Stefan and all she could think of was Damon. Yup, she had it bad.

"I practically drove you to it. " He whispered.

This she disagreed with. "No." She retorted. "You didn't drive me to anything." She moved over to stand in front of him. "I moved on, Stefan. You told me to move on and I moved on. That's what happened." Stefan reached for her and she quickly moved out of immediate grabbing distance. "You should leave."

"Elena," Stefan whispered. "I still care about you. I came back for help. And for you. I'm not going to give you up without a fight."

Elena held up her hands. "I still care about you too, and I'll do anything to help you but right now you should leave."

She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't want to leave. But he would. Because she asked him to. That was the difference between Stefan and Damon. Damon would stay and argue with her until he was blue in the face, which would never happen. The asshole didn't need to breathe.

Stefan stood and walked to the door. She could tell he wanted to say something. "Do you know where he is right now?" Stefan asked, standing in the doorway. Elena turned so her back was facing him. "He's with Andie, Elena." Her heart stopped in her chest. Stefan really knew how to kick a girl when she was down.

Elena recalled her conversation with Andie with perfect clarity. 'Damon's a friend', 'he's completely and utterly in love with you' Andie had said.

"They're just friends." Elena whispered, tried to sound tough. Her voice may or may not have cracked a little bit when she said it.

Then he delivered the kicker. "That's just it." Stefan said softly. "A couple of months ago you and Damon were just friends too." He shut the door behind him on his way out.

**So? Any predictions? Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? I always respond to reviews! ;) Thanks for reading! **


	23. Chapter 23

**Sorry for the 'mental trauma' and 'emotional torture' lol, but c'mon if it wasn't a little bit angsty would you guys still want to read it? **** Also…LOVED that Stefan in Thursday's episode referred to himself as a 'psychotic killer', haha I almost changed that part of Chapter 21 when Damon answers the door after saying psychotic killers don't knock! Glad to know the writers of TVD and I are on the same page! **

**Ugh…..this chapter started off so smoothly….and then I rewrote the last half at least twice….**

Damon woke up on Andie's couch. He glanced at the empty wine and liquor bottles sitting on the coffee table. Good thing vampires didn't suffer from hangovers. Cause this one would be a bitch. Andie had left him a little note in her pretty script taped to the nearest bottle.

_Remember what we talked about. I'm glad you came over before you did anything rash. Hang in there. Call me if you need me._

He sighed, ran his hand over his face. Picking up his phone, he glanced quickly at the screen. No missed calls. No new texts. Frustrated he dropped it back on the coffee table. Dammit. She was just as stubborn as he was, he supposed. Standing, he neatly folded the blanket she had draped over him. His talk with Andie had served its purpose, calmed his nerves. Kind of. It still rubbed him wrong that she hadn't tried to contact him. But then he hadn't called or texted her either.

Plopping back down onto the couch he tugged on his boots. He reached for his phone again. Stared at if for a few solid minutes before he pressed the direct dial for her. Anticipation tightened in his stomach, but he listened to it ring and ring and ring before it went to her voicemail. He listened to her perky message, glad to hear her voice in any capacity at this point. He hung up when it ended, wanting to have a conversation with her face to face and not via voicemail. His next call went to Alaric.

"Hadn't heard anything from you. Glad you're still kicking." Alaric answered.

Damon sighed. "Something like that." He stood, began clearing the bottles off of the table, throwing them out.

"Rough night last night?" He asked.

"Yeah." Damon said, snatching his keys off of the kitchen table. He wrote a quick note to Andie on the back of her note. "Something like that."

"You said that already." Alaric told him. "I see Stefan's back."

Damon stopped. "You saw him?"

"Yeah, he came by to see Elena last night. Stayed to chat briefly with us and took off."

"He what?" Damon hissed through clenched teeth. Jealousy pooled in his gut, had him seeing red. Ric whistled.

"He came over to chat. What'd you expect him to do, Damon? Stay locked up in the house forever? Wait on you to return?"

"I'll be right over." He growled.

"She's not at the house." Ric said immediately before Damon could disconnect.

"What? Where the hell is she?" He demanded, glaring at Andie's coffee table. He was tempted to smash the glass, throw it around the room a little bit, yell and scream like a mental patient. He resisted. Barely.

"She's at school. We all are."

"Are you _insane?"_Damon ranted. "He's still out there! He's killed three innocent people already. Jesus, Ric! What the hell were you thinking letting them go to school?" He stalked to his car, cranked it up angrily.

"He hasn't been seen in this area. We can't just keep them under lock and key until you find him!"

"The hell we can't! He's psychotic, Alaric! He's going to go after Elena!"

"Damon, relax." Ric shouted. "What classes she doesn't have with Bonnie, she's got with Caroline..." He trailed off and Damon immediately knew what he wasn't saying.

"No! Tell me he's not! He just came home yesterday...what the hell is he doing at school?"

"He's watching over everybody. He wouldn't let anything happen to any of them same as you wouldn't." Damon ended the call abruptly. His hands shook with rage. He couldn't see straight he was so angry. Where the hell did Stefan get off reinserting himself into their lives like nothing had ever happened? Unbelievable. He was probably already trying to weasel his way back into Elena's graces too. Had probably convinced Elena that Damon was all wrong for her and she belonged with Stefan. Jesus. He should have just sucked it up and gone over there last night. Should've gone to see her like he had been dying to. Maybe then they wouldn't all be trusting Saint Stefan to fix things. Stefan was a mess himself, how the hell could he keep them safe? He hit the steering wheel with his fist. Dammit!

He pulled into the school parking lot in record time. He leapt out of the car, nearly ripped the door off of its hinges as he strode into the school. Good thing he had memorized her schedule a while back. Glancing at his watch, he strode to her classroom. Stefan sat in the desk next to Elena, and he was staring at her.

Damon rolled his eyes, counted to ten and grit his teeth. "Stefan." He hissed. He'd hear him. Stefan's head popped up looked at him through the small window. A small smirk graced his smug face and Damon growled at him. "Outside. Now." He turned around and walked out; confident his brother would be close behind him. He strolled as casually as possible into the woods. He heard the doors open behind him and Damon clenched his fists.

He stopped a few hundred feet in. Stefan strolled up right behind him. Damon pulled his lips into a thin smile. "What the hell are you doing here?" Damon asked as graciously as he could.

"I'm protecting the group." Stefan said. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"You're fresh off the Klaus/Ripper/Rebekah band wagon!" Damon yelled. At Stefan's sheepish look, Damon nodded. "Yeah, I know about Rebekah." He said haughtily. Stefan grimaced. Damon stepped up to him, got in his face. "You stay away from Elena." It was a thinly veiled threat and Stefan heard it loud and clear.

"I'll stay wherever Elena wants me." Stefan said softly. He smiled then and if Damon was hot earlier, his blood was boiling now. "Funny how the tables have turned." Damon reached out, grabbed Stefan by the throat, pushed him back against the tree.

"Nothing funny about it, Stef." Damon bit out. "Keep your human bloodthirsty hands off of Elena." He shoved him a little bit. "I mean it, brother." Damon heard the doors to the school opening. The period must have ended. Kids spilled out, using outside as a shortcut to avoid the massive crowding in the halls. He continued to hold Stefan by the throat. "Stay away from Elena." He hissed.

He would have heard her if he hadn't been contemplating a million different ways to prove his seriousness to Stefan. Most involved impalement of some sort. With wooden objects. "What the hell is going on here?" Elena asked. They both looked up, her arms were crossed and she looked mad as hell. Damon let Stefan go, took a step back.

"Damon's just making sure I know my place. Right, brother?" Stefan told her, dusting the dirt off of his pants and jacket.

"And what place would that be?" She asked, tossing her head. Damon just stared at her.

"Oh, ya know." He said casually. "Nowhere near you."

Elena's eyebrows raised. "You're unbelievable." she said sarcastically to Damon.

Damon smirked. "So you kept saying the other night." Elena sucked in a breath, through grit teeth. Stefan winced. Her stare turned downright icy. "Speaking of the other night. I'm pretty sure you were there when we found out Tyler was alive. Why the hell are you at school right now?" Damon demanded, stepping towards her. He glared down at her and she stared up at him.

"Because I can't stay cooped up in the house forever. Caroline's here. And Bonnie's here. And..." she looked around him at Stefan. Damon eyes turned glacier. "And I can't get into Northwestern if I never attend school."

Something like hope blossomed in his chest. It warmed him, and his tone was somewhat less frosty when he repeated stupidly, "Northwestern." She nodded.

"Chicago kind of grew on me." She said softly. Her eyes communicated what she didn't say verbally. They were after all in the presence of her former, slightly unstable boyfriend. He wanted to touch her, wanted to pull her into a hug, kiss her soundly and never let her go. But Stefan was three feet behind him. He didn't want to be the one responsible for setting him off on a rampage. And neither did Elena, obviously. "I'm going to be late for my next class." She stated. She spun on her heel and marched back into the building. Damon watched her go with mixed emotions. Yes, she needed to attend class to get into Northwestern, but her safety was more important. He just wished it was more important to her.

Without a backwards glance at Stefan, Damon began to walk away. "That's it?" Stefan asked.

Damon answered quickly. "I think I got my point across."

* * *

Elena strode back into the building, skirting inside the women's locker room just before the bell sounded. She changed quickly into her gym clothes and then sat for a minute. She was still pissed about him not calling or texting. And being rude to her. But his 'message' to Stefan meant he was jealous, and in his own strange little way that he was staking claim. And it meant that he was still loved her. She had woken up this morning to a text, though not from the person she most wanted to hear from.

_Damon passed out on my couch. Couldn't stop talking about you. Stefan's return really has him confused. Don't be too hard on him, k?_

Relieved to know he was safe, but madder than hell that he still hadn't contacted her she had stormed downstairs and informed everyone that they were going to school today. Caroline went with Matt to his house and Stefan showed up minutes later, ready to go with them too. Elena had glared at him the whole way, but he stayed by her side. He didn't say much but she knew that he was there and that Tyler would get nowhere near her while he was around.

Tying her tennis shoes she pushed off the bench and left the locker room. Matt was leaning against the wall opposite the door and fell into step beside her as she pushed through the gym doors. "Everything okay?" He asked.

She sighed. "Peachy." Matt laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders as they moved to the back to start warm ups. Matt stretched his arms over his head, holding his elbow.

"So any word from Damon?" He said as he bent at the waist and touched his toes. Elena grunted and Matt laughed again. "Things are getting serious between you two, aren't they?"

Elena shrugged and dropped down onto the floor to start the required 25 sit ups, Matt held down her feet for her. "Every time I start to think so...something happens." She huffed as she sat up and lay back down.

"Fight for him." Matt told her. "He makes you happy right?" Elena nodded. Matt shrugged. "He suits you." He said softly. Elena finished her sit ups and switched positions with Matt so she was holding down his feet. His sit ups went much faster, they were daily football practice warm ups. Elena cocked her head at him. He elaborated. "You balance each other." Elena rolled her eyes. "No seriously, you calm him." At her sarcastic look, "You do. He's changed. And he lights you up." Matt blushed. "He's good for you. And you're good for him."

Elena smiled at him. "Thanks, Matt." She stood and helped him up onto his feet. She hugged him, kissed his cheek.

After gym, Caroline was waiting for her at her locker. "Ready to go?" She asked.

Nodding, Elena grabbed her Chem book and slammed her locker door shut. "I am so over this whole school thing. Can we just graduate and move on?" Caroline looked at her in horror.

"No!" She shrieked. "We still have senior prom and the winter formal and the decade dance!" Elena rolled her eyes and exited the school. Caroline was squawking behind her the whole way. She tried to quell her disappointment when she saw Damon's car was gone from its earlier parking spot. He hadn't waited around to talk to her. Jerk. She climbed into her car, Caroline jumped in beside her. Matt jogged out their way and got in the back. Bonnie and Jeremy walked together over to Bonnie's car, which only left Stefan and Ric. Elena glanced down at her phone. She had a missed text. Against her better judgment her heart sped up. She opened it.

_Gonna stay w/ Ric for a while. Will bring him safely back to your house. -Stefan_

She texted him back a 'k' and chucked her phone back into her purse. Caroline gave her a knowing look. Shaking her head, Elena started up the car. A wave of unease ran down her spine. Frowning, she looked up at Caroline. Caroline was giving her a 'why aren't we going anywhere' face. Elena scanned the parking lot.

"I don't know," She murmured in response to the face. "I feel like I'm being watched. I got a chill down my spine." Matt and Caroline began searching the parking lot too. Caroline was shaking her head.

"I don't see him, Elena." She said softly. Matt was actively looking too.

"Me neither." Matt popped his head in between the seats, rested his hand on Elena's shoulder.

"Maybe I'm going crazy." She said. Her hands shaking just slightly, she put the SUV in drive and pulled out of her parking space. Caroline reached for her hand on the center console and held it the whole way home.

* * *

Matt parked himself on the sofa and powered up the XBox. Jeremy and Bonnie strolled in soon after they arrived home. Elena headed straight to her bedroom. She didn't want to be anti-social but she needed some time to calm her nerves. She lit one of her scented candles and grabbed her ear buds out of her desk drawer. Plugging them into her iPod, she pressed shuffle and curled up in her desk chair. She reached for her fountain pen and her diary. It had been entirely too long since she'd written in there.

She was scribbling furiously, completely absorbed and on her third page when a hand tapped her shoulder. She jumped out of her skin. Leaping off the chair she spun around, fountain pen gripped like a dagger. Her iPod fell to the floor, ear buds still in her ears and she let out a huge whoosh of relief. She pressed the heel of her palm over her heart to steady its racing beat.

"I tried to get your attention." Damon explained, holding his palms up in defense. Her eyes watered a little bit and his brow crinkled in concern. "Hey." He tugged on her hand, pulled her into a hug. "What's wrong?" He asked. Irritation warred with longing inside of her, both emotions fighting for dominance. She was irritated with him. And she longed for him to hold her tighter, make all of her worries go away. Irritation won and she pushed at him, until he let her go.

She yanked out her ear buds and dropped them on her desk. She flipped her diary shut so prying eyes wouldn't go snooping. Damon was a sneaky snooper. And most of page 3 may or may not have been mostly about him. Possibly part of page 2 too. She sank back down into her chair and stared at him. He cracked a smile. "What? Are you not speaking to me?" He asked. Elena crossed her arms and his smile faded. He sat down across from her on the edge of the bed. "I know." He murmured. "I'm sorry for the way I acted." Elena raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"That sounds like something Andie told you to say." She snipped.

He quirked a brow. "She didn't tell me to say anything," he admitted. "She told me to talk to you. Apparently I'm supposed to express my feelings." He rolled his eyes. "Look, Elena, I don't have the best track record with relationships. Familial or romantic. My past isn't the greatest. I've slept with a lot of women."

She held up a hand. "Wow. Stop. I don't think this conversation is going where you want it to."

"Please let me finish." He said. "The things I feel for you I have never felt before. Not even with Katherine." He grimaced as he said her name. "It's intense. Also scares the hell out of me." He clasped his hands together, leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. He met her eyes. "I love you, Elena Gilbert. I freaked out because I love you and two nights ago I realized just how much I love you. And now Tyler's not dead and Stefan's back. That freaks me out even more, because now I've had a glimpse of what things could be like with you and I won't lose you. To either of them." He ran a hand through his hair, uncharacteristically uneasy. Elena's heart warmed to see him so out of his element, discussing his feelings. And he wasn't even drunk. She didn't think. "How's that for expressing my feelings?" He asked with a wry smile.

Elena pursed her lips and just stared at him. "You can't just shut me out every time something bad happens."

"I won't."

"Or go running to Andie…."

He nodded. "I know."

"You have to talk to me."

"I will." He promised, a small smile started, spread slowly to his eyes. They burned a brilliant blue.

"I reserve the right to tell you when you're being a dick."

"Only if I can tell you when you're being a pain in the ass."

"You do that already." She said, she stood up from her chair and sauntered over to stand in front of him. His small smile became a devilish tilt of his lips. She couldn't help the smile that spread over her face. He did that to her, made her smile stupid cheesy grins all the time. She tangled her fingers in his hair, tilted his head back. She leaned down to capture his mouth with hers, poured out the last day's frustrations in the kiss. It heated quickly and she fisted her hand in his hair, tugged. His mouth opened beneath hers and she took control slipping her tongue inside. A deep rumble sounded in his throat and Elena delighted in the power that she knew she wielded over him. She sucked on his bottom lip, nipped it with her teeth.

His left hand moved off of her hip, up to graze her breast. Her throaty moan would have made her blush if she could have thought straight. His right hand curled into her hip, tugged her down onto his lap. Breaking the kiss, she pulled back away from him and climbed off of his lap.

"You're still not completely out of the doghouse." She told him. He frowned at her, reached for her.

"Bet I can fix that."

She shook her head at him. "Nope. You'll just have to suffer for a while." She smiled wickedly at him. "This house is full of people after all," She paused and smiled over her shoulder as she walked out the door, "and apparently I'm not very quiet." She saw him fall back onto the bed in frustration and she laughed. Served him right.

"We could order pizza," Matt said, as he turned the controller in his hand, desperately trying to beat Jeremy in the latest video game the two of them were caught up in. Bonnie and Caroline vetoed that immediately. "Well, I've already checked the fridge." Matt complained as Elena waltzed down the stairs. All eyes turned towards her. "There's not enough to feed the whole group again."

Elena shrugged. "I could go to the store."

Jeremy grumbled something about how he'd rather have pizza. Elena shoved him as she walked by. He laughed. "Or we could just all go to the Grill."

Damon stomped down the steps. "We're not all going out. Elena and I will go to the store."

"Aw, come on Damon." Jeremy whined. "He's not going to attack us all if we go."

"No, but I might." Damon quipped, leaning against the wall.

"I can grill hamburgers!" Elena piped from the kitchen.

"The Grill has _great_ hamburgers." Jeremy said.

"Would it be so bad?" Caroline asked Damon. "C'mon, we'll have Stefan and Alaric meet us there…"

"Well that settles it." Damon hollered. "Elena, let's go."

She popped her head back around the corner, glared at him. "Where?"

"To the store. We're going to get food." Caroline smiled knowingly at Damon.

"He'll still come over." She whispered, but Damon heard her clear across the room.

"And here I'll have four or five other rooms to avoid him in." He responded softly with a wry smile. Elena strolled up to him, looped her arm through his. "Ready?"

"Yup." She said and they walked out the door. Elena's phone buzzed.

_Ric needs to go to the store. –Stefan_

She replied.

_Oh. We're headed there. We can grab whatever he needs. –E_

Damon glanced over at her, frowned. She didn't dare tell him who she was texting.

_Already there. See you in a few. ;) –Stefan_

Oh. Shit. She reached for Damon's hand, squeezed it.

"What?" He asked.

She shook her head, twined her fingers through his. "Nothing."

"Right." He said knowingly. When he pulled into the parking lot he immediately spotted Ric's car. His head turned slowly towards Elena. "I'm guessing that means that little brother's here too." Elena shrugged. Damon curled his lip. She reached up to cup his cheek, leaned over to brush her lips across his. "Thought I was in the doghouse." He murmured as he ran his thumb along her pulse point on her neck. It sent delicious shivers down his spine. She shrugged.

"When it suits me." She grinned.

"Of course." He laughed. Damon's phone buzzed in his pocket. Yanking it out of his pocket, Elena let go of his hand opened the door.

She kissed him quickly. "I'm going to run inside. See you in there."

"Wait…." He called. She slipped out the door.

"It'll be fine." She said, shutting the door behind her. He watched her enter the store, the doors automatically opening to admit her. His phone buzzed again in his hand. The display read 'Unknown', not altogether unusual in his line of business and he swiped his finger to answer it.

"Salvatore's House of Horrors." He said.

"Damon."

"It's about damn time you called me back!" Damon growled into the phone.

"My apologies. I was traveling." Elijah responded.

Damon got straight to the point. "Tyler's escaped. After ripping out his heart and burying the bastard, he reanimated. Your cryptic message to Elena, what the hell did it mean?"

"Pardon?" He asked.

"'He's more dangerous than he seems' I believe it was," Damon mocked in an imitation of Elijah's unique accent. "What the hell did that mean?"

"You ripped out his heart?"

"I said that. Yes."

"All of it?" Elijah asked.

"I'm not a doctor, old man. I ripped out his heart, dropped it on the ground. I didn't inspect it. Never had to before."

"Never tried to kill a hybrid before either, now have you? Well if you got it all, it would've killed him." Elijah retorted. "If you left a piece, even a smidgen it would rebuild itself."

Damon rolled his eyes, grit his teeth. "Okay, so remove the heart completely. Any other tidbits you'd like to share?"

He heard Elijah sigh. "The removal of his head should do quite well also."

"Already knew that. Remove the heart completely, decapitate, got it. Anything else?"

"As a matter of fact yes, I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, that you would handle the problem as it were before this even became an issue…"

"Out with it already, Elijah." Damon growled.

"Klaus had a theory." Elijah drawled. Damon clenched his fist around his steering wheel. These Originals could be so damn chatty, and yet not tell you anything. It was infuriating. "He believed that his first born, the first hybrid…."

"Yes, I understand what you meant, Elijah. Just spit it out!" Trying to rein in his temper and failing miserably at it, Damon's steering wheel groaned in protest.

"Could make others."

"Excuse me?" Oh, fuck. "So wolf boy could essentially be a mini Klaus?"

"Essentially." Elijah summarized.

Damon closed his eyes, leaned his forehead against the steering wheel. Counted to ten. "You couldn't have told us that when I had him locked up? I would have killed him then and there!" He could picture Elijah's shrug.

"I thought you were smarter than you looked, Salvatore. I never imagined you'd let him live."

"I killed the son of a bitch." Damon yelled. "It's not my fault the dog didn't stay dead!"

Elijah's answer was flippant. "Apparently it is." Damon gripped his phone so tightly he was surprised he didn't crush it. Throwing his head back against the headrest he bit his tongue. "Oh, and by the way your brother is probably on his way back home."

Damon saw red. For probably the eighth time that day. He hung up on him. He needed to calm down before he entered the grocery store. Even though people around here were familiar with him and his temper he didn't want to alarm Elena. Not right away. No, he needed to discuss this newfound information with Caroline and Ric and damnit, probably Stefan before the rest of the group was filled in. Elena wouldn't like being excluded right away, but she'd get over it.

Still seething, but having the majority of it under control he got out of the car. He didn't bother locking it, because it was common knowledge that this Damon Salvatore's car. And unless you had a death wish, you didn't mess with anything belonging to Damon Salvatore. He strode into the store, and spotted Stefan and Alaric immediately. They were checking out at the self scan, Alaric laughing at something Stefan said. Jealousy poured through Damon's body. Jesus, was he out to be Ric's new best friend too? Shaking it off quickly, they had more important things to worry about he marched up to them.

"Damon." Ric called as he looked up, spotted him. He waved him over. Stefan looked up then too, saw Damon and frowned. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Get over it, Stefan." Damon muttered. Stefan looked behind him, then immediately back to Damon. It hit them both at the same time. Like a Mack truck. Damon instantly spun in a circle seeing what he could see.

Ric started looking too, though he didn't know what he was looking for. Damon felt panic rise up in his throat, Stefan looked like he was about to vomit. "What, guys?" Ric asked.

Damon's throat closed up. "Elena." He whispered pitifully. "I watched her walk in here!"

"I never saw her." Stefan responded, his voice cracking.

"Wait, what?" Ric asked a bit slow on the uptake, though he was definitely picking up on the terror emanating from the two vampires.

"Elena's gone."

**Sorry! Quick note…this next chapter is probably going to be a bitch to write….so it may take longer than normal for an update. And…..I think it's probably best for me to make a quick exit here. Toodles y'all! **


	24. Chapter 24

**So funny story…they changed our email at work so that we cannot send external emails…..and I may or may not have written the majority of this story in emails written from my work email to my home email. (I know, I know….bad employee!) :D So now I can't work on it at work….so I've lost a little of the inspiration and I'm definitely not writing as much as I used to. =/**

**Also….believe it or not….we're wrapping up this story quickly. Shouldn't be that many more chapters guys! And my "downtime" at work lol, has allowed me to contemplate new story ideas! **

**Anywho….sorry you had to wait so long! **

"Americans are so rude." Elijah said as set his phone down on the table and glanced over at Katherine. She was sprawled out on a beach lounge chair sun bathing. Nude.

"I tried to warn him," she murmured, pushing her sunglasses down her nose to gaze over them at Elijah.

Elijah shook his head. "I did too."

Katherine flipped, rolled onto her back and Elijah took a moment to appreciate the view. "Should we go assist?"

Elijah sighed. "I'm contemplating it."

Katherine huffed, "Well I at least need to experience the local cuisine before we go." She stood and stretched. Bending over Elijah, she placed a chaste kiss on his lips. At Elijah's wicked smile she tsk'ed her finger at him. "After breakfast, honey. I'm craving some Italians." She slipped a cover up over her head and strolled down the beach in search of a meal.

Realizing he hadn't heard from his sister in a while, he dialed her quickly. She had been quite devastated over his actions. She wasn't pleased with him at all after he had sent Stefan packing. She fancied herself in love with him and after essentially being asleep for almost a century it would make sense that while she might still be in love with him, he had moved on.

"What, Elijah?" Rebekah griped.

"I was just calling to see how you are, dear sister." Elijah smiled.

"I'm just peachy, love." She snarled.

"Still enjoying the view? " He asked.

She hesitated and he could hear the smile in her voice. It gave him pause. "l'm _loving_ this view." She disconnected and Elijah stared at the phone for a solid minute before he uncharacteristically yelled.

"Kat? Leave your breakfast!"

* * *

Damon's hand shook as he poured himself another shot. "Is that wise?" Matt asked from the corner of the room. Damon raised his head to glower at him. Matt immediately looked away. Throwing back the shot, he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and quickly poured another. Caroline stomped into the kitchen.

"Stop that." She hissed at him. "You don't get to be depressed. There's work to be done!" She snatched the bottle from him and poured it down the drain. She leaned closer to him as his eyes squinted at her. "I need you focused."

"I am focused." He hissed. He held out his hand. "I have to fix this." He told her as his hand trembled. He clutched the offending hand close to his chest like that would stop it somehow. "I can't be of any help if I can't keep my hands steady."

"You're shaken up. It happens. Now get over it." She looked pointedly at Stefan slumped in the corner. Damon huffed then shrugged his shoulders.

"He attacked me. In the middle of the store. I had no choice."

Matt interrupted snidely. "You had a choice to let Elena go in the store alone." Pushing himself off of the counter, Damon flew at Matt. He lifted him out of his chair, held him by his neck. His feet dangled in mid air, the only thing holding him up was Damon. Matt clawed helplessly at Damon's hand, desperate for air.

"You listen to me, Mutt. You're the most useless member of this peanut gallery. I'd keep my trap shut if I were you." Damon opened his hand, releasing Matt. He fell to the floor gasping for breath. Turning his back to Matt, Damon glared at Caroline and her condescending huff. Before he walked up the stairs to check on Bonnie, he turned to look at Matt briefly. "That choice is something I'll never forgive myself for." He whispered and trudged up the stairs, desperate to hear some good news. It was his only admittance of any wrongdoing. And in his own way, an apology for the debacle with Matt. Probably the only apology Matt would ever get.

Bonnie sat in the middle of Jeremy's floor, surrounded by candles. She chanted gibberish, while clutching Elena's hairbrush. The look on Jeremy's face enough was Damon's answer. It wasn't working. She couldn't track her.

With a whoosh, the candles extinguished and Bonnie opened her eyes. They were tear-filled and with a gut wrenching sob she shook her head. Damon stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him so hard it rattled the house.

* * *

Elena couldn't move. Sighing deeply, she shifted her hips to turn onto her side. She met resistance. She smiled to herself, Damon must have fallen asleep pinning her to the sheets. Her arms weren't numb yet, so suddenly content with her position since it was Damon induced she yawned and slipped into a deeper sleep.

A short time later her arms were officially numb. She mumbled something unintelligible at Damon and wiggled to indicate her need for a change in position. When he didn't budge she grunted at him and whined "Damon!" She got no response. She huffed and tried to turn again. He wouldn't move! Aggravated now, she opened her eyes expecting to see the masculine, tidy room that Damon kept. Instead she discovered she was in a non-descript room with white walls. She shook her head, expecting somehow for her eyes to stop playing tricks on her, to reveal the room she was really in. Nothing changed.

Slightly panicked, she moved to bend her elbows to get a better look at her surroundings. She needed to figure out what the hell was going on. Problem was her arms and elbows wouldn't cooperate. She turned her head a little to the left and muffled a cry. Her wrists were encased in zip ties. Both of them. She was zip tied to the headboard. She bit her lip, took a deep breath. A full on panic or anxiety attack would do absolutely nothing to get her out of whatever this was.

Focus, Elena. She told herself. Focus. What do you last remember? She went home from school, semi-made up with Damon, trip to the grocery store. Damon answered a phone call, she ran in by herself…oh God. Tyler. Tyler had grabbed her. That was the only explanation. She couldn't remember anything after exiting the Damon's car. Think, Elena. Think. What else had happened?

Tasting blood, she released her bottom lip, licked the blood off of it. That wasn't working. She yanked on her restraints, knowing it would do her absolutely no good. She wasn't getting out of these zip ties. Taking several deep breaths she decided to focus on something else. Her location.

Tyler would have to give or show Damon something to indicate she was still alive. Maybe she could send him a message. She had no idea how she would do it but it gave her something to focus on, something to do. Location? Okay. No windows. Not a single one. She had no idea if it was day or night. She couldn't hear anything either. No birds, no crickets, dogs or cats. No noise whatsoever. And with the fogginess that was obviously either head injury or drug induced she had no idea how long she had been out. It could have been a few hours, days, she had no clue. Not a hotel. Not the Lockwood cabin either. Tyler would be an idiot to take her to his cabin. Damon knew the location of the cabin. It was probably the first place he'd look.

She glanced at the plain nightstand next to her. No pens, no notepads, no alarm clock, no phone. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The bed she was tied to was almost non-descript; a mahogany four poster bed whose only accessories included herself, some plain white sheets and some zip ties. There was nothing else in the room. What was this place? She had nothing to go on but the lack of things.

Wait a minute. Damon had told her once that his favorite trick in new towns was to find the most expensive foreclosure and take up residence there. No owners to invite you in, and the homes were generally left intact. At least the nice ones usually were. Was this what that was? How would she convey that to Damon if she was able to get a message out? Surely he was already looking for her. They all probably were.

She lay her head back down on the pillow, her neck beginning to feel the strain of raising it off the pillow long enough to look around for clues. Staring at the ceiling, she held back tears. She would not cry. She would not give the bastard that satisfaction. He'd use it against her; he'd use it to his advantage with Damon. No she couldn't show weakness. She wouldn't.

She couldn't believe this was Tyler Lockwood. The Tyler Lockwood she had known her entire life. The Tyler Lockwood she had kissed in seventh grade at Caroline's birthday party in an exciting game of Spin the Bottle. Matt had not liked that at all. The same Tyler Lockwood that had gone on endless 'dates' with her and Matt, never fearing or caring that he was the third wheel. The Tyler Lockwood that was hopelessly in love with Caroline and stupidly not acting on his feelings.

Sighing deeply, Elena bit her lip again, closed her eyes. Was that? She heard a voice. Muffled but a voice. Was that Tyler? Who was he talking to? Was he working with someone? Hearing light footsteps on what sounded like stairs, the voice moved closer and closer. He was definitely coming this way.

Regardless of her intentions to not show fear, her heartbeat accelerated. It was beating so loud she could practically hear it. She knew Tyler could. Damon could always pick up on it, so Tyler definitely had to. She blinked back the tears that were on the verge of spilling over her lashes when the door opened. Elena stared at her captor in shock. What the hell?

* * *

"What do you mean you can't track her?" Caroline asked only in a slightly higher tone than normal. It was a half screech. Jeremy held out his hand to indicate the need for space.

"Bonnie placed a very powerful anti-tracking spell on Elena." Jeremy said defensively.

"Yes, but Bonnie placed it. So Bonnie can remove it." Caroline countered, her eyes widening. She looked to Bonnie then back at Jeremy and back to Bonnie. "Right, Bonnie? Right?"

Bonnie shook her head solemnly, a tear slipping down her cheek. "When the witches took my magic away…" She began. Matt buried his face in his hands letting out a loud groan.

"So we have no way to track her?" Alaric whispered.

Shaking her head again, Bonnie lowered her head defeat clear in her posture. "I'm trying everything I can think of. But I can't lower the spell. And I can't exactly track Tyler. So we're at a loss right now."

"Jesus." Alaric ran a hand over his face, left it covering his mouth for a minute to hide his horror. "Don't let Damon know yet."

"He knows." Jeremy whispered. "It's why he took off a few minutes ago." He looked back at the door. Damon was the best chance they had at finding his sister. He damn well better have a good excuse for leaving. Or come back with her in tow. He squeezed Bonnie's shoulder reassuringly. Bone tired, he sunk into the chair next to her.

Caroline leaned forward on the table, "So what's our next move? We sit around like fish in a barrel?"

"No." Came a voice from the corner. They all turned to see Stefan's eyes open. They were dark, angry. He was no longer slumped in the corner, but sitting up ramrod straight. He was focused, Caroline thought. He was angry and he was scared but he was focused on finding Elena. That's what they needed. Her heart melted to see the resolve in his face. He would find Elena, he would bring her back. With or without Damon. "We don't just sit around." Pushing himself to a standing position, Stefan took a quick survey of the room. Seeing it minus one Salvatore he shook his head. "Did we manage to get the surveillance from the store?"

Alaric shook his head, ran a hand through his hair. "Jesus. No, I didn't think about it. I was too busy worrying about the scene you were making and getting the two of you out of there." He grabbed his coat and his keys. "I'll go back. Get the store across the street too, maybe they got his vehicle or saw the direction he was traveling in." He mumbled as he walked towards the door. "I'll be right back."

He opened the door, when Damon breezed past him. Three DVDs dangled from his fingers.

"Way ahead of you, brother. Grocery store, ATM on the corner, and Laundromat across the street." He said, dropping the DVD's one by one on the breakfast bar. "Little Gilbert, work your magic. Figure out what the hell that mangy mutt is up to and where he was headed." Damon gripped the counter tightly, the marble groaning under the strain. Stefan stayed in the corner, eyeing Damon. "I hope you're not waiting for an apology, Stef. You won't get one. I did what I had to do. Let's just focus on getting Elena back. You can kick my ass later, _capiche_?" Stefan glowered, giving absolutely no response. Damon rolled his eyes, and then turned his attention to Alaric. "Ric? How's your weapons stash? I was thinking on the way back, maybe we should make some kind of Vervain/Wolfsbane combo grenade. That way the fucker burns double."

Alaric lowered his brow, but pushed off the wall where he stood. "C'mon Bonnie, Matt. You two can help me make 'em." They stomped up the stairs to the main bedroom where Ric kept the majority of his weapons. If they packed now, they'd be prepared later. Tyler would have to give them some kind of inkling to his location, something to taunt him with. He just hoped against all hope that whatever he did; whatever pain and suffering Tyler intended to inflict on Damon was not taken out on Elena.

Caroline stood behind Jeremy as he pulled up the footage fast forwarding through to the approximate time Damon received the phone call. Jeremy raised a finger and Damon and Stefan both strolled over to view the footage. Resting one hand on the back of the chair, and the other on the counter Damon boxed Jeremy in. He leaned over to watch intently and Caroline took her eyes off the footage for just a second. Noted the lack of tremor in Damon's hand. A small smile flitted across her face. Thank God. Having both the Salvatore brothers reared and ready to go was much better than a homicidal/suicidal one Salvatore brother. Patting his hand briefly she returned her focus to the screen.

They watched Elena enter the store. Alone. Stefan snarled.

Damon nudged him with his arm. "Not the time brother." Minutes lapsed. Nothing happened. Elena did not leave via the front door. Damon smacked the table in frustration as he watched himself on camera enter the store. He pushed away from the table, jammed his fingers in his hair and kicked the refrigerator. It only left a small dent. Hearing Alaric teach Matt and Bonnie upstairs how to make the grenades only made him feel slightly better.

God, he was going to torture Tyler Lockwood. Really torture him.

The laptop CD drive clicked as Jeremy slid in the next DVD to look at more footage. Damon kept his head down, dreaming of all the ways to torture a werewolf vampire hybrid when Caroline gasped. "Wait. Is that….?" She asked.

Damon spun around. He couldn't see the screen from this angle, but he watched fascinated as Caroline and Jeremy both looked up, turned to Stefan. He watched Stefan's face crumble, his mouth go slack in bewilderment. Stefan rarely looked bewildered. What the hell? Damon stepped forward, glanced at the image frozen on the screen. Yeah, that was definitely Elena. An unconscious Elena. Damon growled, eager to rip out something's throat when the image fully registered with him. That was not Tyler.

"Oh God." Stefan whispered hoarsely. "Rebekah."

**Yeah, I went there. Did you honestly think Rebekah was just going to give Stefan up? She's a crazy bitch! Again, sorry for the delay. And sorry its short. You can probably expect another update about the same time next week. *fingers crossed* Hopefully! Thanks for sticking with me! And thanks for any and all love/hate/critiques and compliments! Love reading your thoughts! **


	25. Chapter 25

**Apologies….again. The real world just keeps getting in the way! Crazy mid-winter-spring-whatever they want to call it TVD finale, huh? I'm pretty sure I'm still in shock! Here's a little something to tide you over until it comes back mid-March….it's on the shorter side (again) but packed with goodies! Enjoy!**

Rebekah grinned wickedly, leaned against the door jamb and crossed her arms. It struck Elena that it was a very Damon-esque pose. Shaking her head to clear it, Elena chastised herself internally. She needed to quit thinking about Damon and focus on getting out of this alive. Her chances were already slim at best. Elena bit her lip and opened her mouth to speak.

Rebekah beat her to it. "You should be more careful, darling." She said in that annoying accent. "There are dangers lurking around every corner in this town." She cocked her head. "Why do you stay here, exactly? Your loved one's die or leave you…." She shook her hair out. "I don't understand it."

"Rebekah…." Elena started.

"Oh, you know my name. I'm quite surprised actually. You seem very wrapped up in yourself." Rebekah snarled. Elena frowned.

"I know your name. Elijah's my friend; of course I know his sister's name." Elena whispered, struggling to sit up.

"Oh. Elijah? Really? That traitorous bastard?" Rebekah stuck out her lip, pouted. "He took away something very important to me, interfered where it was none of his bloody business!" Elena watched her closely; a little scared of her antics. She seemed entirely unstable. And an unstable vampire was never a good sign.

"I'm sorry that he hurt you." Elena said softly.

Rebekah threw her head back and laughed. "Oh, that's rich coming from you Elena. This whole mess is all your fault." Glaring at her now, Rebekah straightened away from the door jamb and began slowly walking to her, stood at the foot rails of the bed. "If it wasn't for you, Stefan never would have left me. Never would have come back here. If Klaus had just killed you like he was supposed to I would still have my brother. If you had died all of this never would have happened. Stefan and I would be enjoying paradise right now but instead he's here. And now so am I. I'll get him back, Elena. But before I dispose of you, I have some plans for you." Raising her eyebrows, Rebekah sauntered even closer. "Rumor has it there's a hybrid on the loose." She leaned down and whispered in her ear. "And I've also heard he'd _love _to get his paws on you."

With an evil laugh that sounded much like a cackle, Rebekah waltzed out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Elena closed her eyes and fought back her panic. Of all the scenarios she had imagined this had never been one of them. Damon and Stefan would surely come after her. How on Earth would they defeat another Original? Mikael hadn't been heard from since the death of Klaus; Elijah wouldn't stand for the Salvatore brothers to take out another member of his family. Bonnie and Jeremy and Alaric would all be a part of the rescue mission too. Tears trekked down her face, and Elena tried her best not to sob. She didn't want any of Rebekah's extra attention diverted her way. God, what a mess. She really couldn't envision a way this would end well.

* * *

A huge crack split the air, startling everyone from their Rebekah induced haze. They turned to find the source of the noise and found themselves staring at Damon and the huge chunk of marble slab that had been separated from the countertop. He looked slightly startled himself as he stared down at the pieces at his feet. His rage faded slightly, the veins around his eyes lightening and his fangs retracting.

Stefan looked absolutely sick, like he was seconds away from vomiting. "Elijah said he'd handle her." He said the first to break the silence. "I didn't think….never imagined…." Before he could finish his sentence Damon flew across the room at him, grabbing him by the shirt and hauling him up in the air. Stefan didn't fight him at all.

"What the hell did you do to her?" Damon growled. Jeremy blinked as he watched the scene unfolding before him. Caroline moved to interject but Damon merely pushed her back with his free arm.

"To Rebekah?" Stefan asked. If it was possible, this angered Damon more. He tightened his hold.

"No, Stefan. To the Tooth Fairy!"

"I left. Without saying goodbye." He admitted with a wince. "I got the hell out of there fast. But she compelled me!" He tried to justify it. Damon growled, and threw Stefan across the room. He fell through the coffee table breaking the glass top and making enough racket to bring Bonnie, Matt and Alaric down the stairs. Stefan stayed where he was, though he kept an eye on Damon. Caroline quickly filled the three in on the latest.

Damon braced his hands on his hips, clenched his fists. "You better pray that not a hair on her head is harmed." Damon said softly. "Or I'll kill you myself." And it was no threat. It was a promise. He turned back to Caroline, though he spoke to Stefan. "Do you know where the coffins are? The rest of his family? We're going to need another one of those damned daggers. Preferably the one he used on Rebekah and not one lodged in his brothers."

"I'll find it." Stefan whispered. And the front door shut signaling his exit. Damon brushed his hands over his pants, wiping off the remainder of the marble dust and looked over at Jeremy.

"What else is on that footage?" He asked calmly. Striding back over to the computer, Damon pulled up a chair next to Jeremy and analyzed the tape frame by frame. They would find something to go on. They had to.

Hours later, they had nothing. Still nothing. The gang decided to do split up and do some simple recon. They were all getting tired of sitting in the house, doing nothing. Caroline had gone to join Stefan who was swinging by the foreclosure Klaus had taken up residence in while he and his posse had come to town. They were also going to canvas Mystic Falls for the moving truck in which the coffins had originally been stored. Stefan still hadn't located it. Damon and Alaric were heading out to the Lockwood cabin, one more valid attempt to discover if Tyler had made any moves, done anything different. Bonnie and Jeremy were going to try to tap into the witches' power to see if they could be of any help. It was worth a shot. And Matt? Matt would hold the fort down. What else could he do?

* * *

Jeremy stared at his reflection in the mirror. The frown on his face seemed permanent these days. He braced his hands on either side of the sink and hung his head. These past two years had been utter hell on him and his family. His mother, his father, his aunt, his uncle, and the havoc on his sister slash cousin.

A single tear trailed down his face. Bonnie knocked on the door and he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand. With a small sniffle, he turned to open the bathroom door. As she stepped in she gave him a small sympathetic smile. He quirked the side of his mouth, pushed off of the counter.

She held open her arms and he stepped into them. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close. Burying his head in the crook of her neck, he let out a shuddering breath. "We'll get her back, Jer." Bonnie whispered. "I swear on everything I hold to be true." He nodded and released her.

He used his hand again to wipe away the tears that he refused to acknowledge. "You ready to go?" He asked with a sigh.

"Not yet." She whispered. Reaching for his hand, she tugged him into his bedroom, pushed him back slightly so he sat on his bed. She squatted in front of him. "I might have an idea." She said, squeezing his hand. He frowned at her. "You can see ghosts."

Jeremy bit his lip and frowned at her like she was crazy. "Yes, Bonnie."

"Can you contact your parents? Or Jenna?" She asked. The look on his face was clearly evidence of his unease. She stood and began pacing. "Because I was thinking, if you can see Anna, but you don't really see anyone else, maybe you need some sort of connection to the ghost. And those three you definitely have a connection to. And maybe Anna can help you find them or can tell you how to contact them. Because maybe, just maybe they keep an eye on you and Elena. And maybe they were watching her when Rebekah took her and maybe they followed them." She stopped pacing finally to face him. "Maybe."

He shrugged, unsure but willing to try anything to save his sister. "So essentially, you're giving me leave to contact ghosts."

"You don't need my permission, Jeremy." She stated, hands on her hips. "I just didn't like that you saw your ex girlfriend on a daily basis when no one else could see her."

Nodding, he closed his eyes. And thought of his parents. And Jenna. That was what he had done in the past when he wanted to see Anna. Maybe it could work like Bonnie said and he could reach his mom or dad or aunt. Hopefully one of them could help.

* * *

Damon and Alaric were the first to make it back. They had made a pit stop at the boarding house to grab some bags of blood and some other necessities. When Caroline and Stefan trudged in the door shoulders hunched Damon stomped up stairs. He had overheard Bonnie and Jeremy whispering as soon as he entered the house. So Jeremy was trying to contact his dead family members? Couldn't hurt. Throwing open the door to little Gilbert's room he stood there and stared at the two of them as they sat huddled together on the bed.

"No progress?" He asked simply and at Bonnie's subtle shake of her head Damon slammed the door. He heard Jeremy curse under his breath and cracked a small smile.

A few minutes later, everyone gathered for updates. Nothing new. Stefan and Caroline? Found nothing. Damon and Alaric? Nothing. Tyler hadn't been to the cabin. Bonnie? Still powerless against her own spell. Jeremy? A ghost whisperer who couldn't even contact his own family. Damon took a deep unnecessary breath. Everyone turned to him as if saying 'what now, fearless leader?' He stalked over to the fridge and tossed Stefan a blood bag.

Stefan stared at it for a solid minute before Damon hissed at him. "If it comes down to strength and speed….you're going to want that running through your veins, baby brother." Damon continued in a softer tone. "I may need you. And your 'A' game." Stefan sighed deeply and slowly popped the top of off one of the plugs. He closed his eyes as he sipped slowly, the veins around his eyes becoming more pronounced. A low growl emanated from his chest. Caroline placed her hand on his shoulder, squeezed it comfortingly. Damon watched in fascination as Stefan reached up to cover her hand with his. Interesting. Damon left them in the room to snag a bag of his own.

As he stood looking out the window in the kitchen, he remembered how less than two weeks ago he had stood in this very kitchen, contemplating on taking Elena with him to Chicago. Oh, to go back to that time. The things he would change. And the things he wouldn't. He regretted nothing of his relationship with Elena. Just maybe that she could have realized her feelings for him sooner. He could've done more, could've coaxed her into it. But then again, he was glad she had come to the realization on her own.

Pouring his blood bag into a glass he squeezed the last bit out and tossed the bag in the trash. His phone rang in his pocket. He nearly dropped his glass in his haste to dig it out. At the sight of the name on the screen the glass shattered on the floor. Blood splashed all over his shoes and the rug covering the hardwood floors but he couldn't give a flying fuck.

"Guys!" he yelled. He slid his finger across the screen to answer. "Elena?" He breathed, his voice cracking on the one word. "Elena!" He repeated, louder and clearer this time. Caroline and Stefan were the first in the room, but Alaric and Jeremy and Bonnie quickly filed in. He held the phone down, pushed the speaker option.

"Hullo, Damon." Said the cheery blond bitch.

"Rebekah." Damon growled menacingly.

"I believe I have something of yours." She laughed. "I'm willing to exchange it for something that belongs to me."

"Done." Damon snarled. "You can have him."

Stefan met his eyes, Caroline placed a hand on Stefan's arm. "Damon!" She protested. Damon just glared at her.

"For Elena." Stefan whispered, nodding at Caroline.

"Yes, dear Stefan. For Elena," Rebekah purred.

"How do I know you haven't harmed her?" Damon demanded, "That she's still alive."

"You want proof of life, Damon?" She asked. There was a moment of silence and then heels clicked on a hardwood floor. They all heard a loud rip and Elena's sharp cry. Damon clenched his phone, fought back his lengthening fangs and hissed.

"If you harm her, I swear…." He vowed.

"Damon?" Elena whispered hoarsely. He nearly wept with relief. He switched the speaker off and held the phone up to his ear.

"Elena. Are you alright?" He asked sharply. He heard Rebekah snap in the background to make it quick. There was no time for niceties. "Do you know where you are?" He asked.

"I'm okay." She said hesitantly. Then, "I'm so sorry." She whispered softly. "I should have _listened_ to you. I wish I could tell you…" She paused and said tenderly, "For closure."

"You can tell me later, Elena. I promise. I'm going to get you…"

"That's enough," Rebekah said as she snatched the phone back from Elena, and Damon could just hear the malice underlying her voice. Damon pinched the bridge of his nose and placed the phone back on speaker.

"When do we make the exchange? Where?"

"Why when I'm done with her of course." Rebekah laughed, "Nothing too harsh."

"Now wait a damn minute!" Damon yelled.

"Call you in a few days. Ta!" Rebekah murmured and Damon heard the disappointing beep as his phone lost the call.

"Fuck!" He screamed, throwing the phone across the room. It shattered as it hit the wall, pieces scattering as they bounced off the floor. He threaded his hands through his hair and linked them at the back of his head. Tugging on his hair tightly, he spun to face the group. They were watching him with wary eyes, like he was a ticking time bomb. Good, he thought, because he was.

Elena was alright. For now. He was going to find that Original bitch and kill her. He pointed at Caroline. "Blondie. Get your mom on the phone. Have her track the GPS on Elena's phone or cell phone towers or whatever. That call pinged off a tower somewhere. Find out where." Stefan stood still clenching his hands into fists. Damon pinched the bridge of his nose. "Turning you over won't accomplish a fucking thing, Stef. I need that damn dagger!"

The front door opened and they all tensed turning towards the entryway as in strolled two familiar figures.

"Looking for this?" Katherine asked coyly, twirling the proverbial dagger in her hand.

* * *

Elena bit back a whimper as Rebekah slapped the duct tape back over her mouth. She had clearly enjoyed ripping the tape off of her face earlier before she handed Elena the phone. Elena had tried to avoid making any noise. Letting Rebekah know she was hurting her would only encourage the sadistic bitch. She and Klaus were really cut from the same cloth.

"Your boyfriend sounds awfully distressed you're gone, Elena. And Stefan seems super willing to turn himself over for you." Rebekah walked away holding the phone in her hand. She fiddled with it tossing it from hand to hand. "What is it about you that has these boys just falling all over you?" She crossed her arms. "I mean, what do you have that I don't?" She asked, huffing.

Elena kept her mouth shut, not wanting to anger her any more. She just hoped and prayed that Damon had received her message, had understood it. She had done the best she could with what she had to work with. She closed her eyes, holding back tears. When she opened them, Rebekah was hovering over her. Elena jumped and worked to slow her breath, calm her nerves. Showing fear was like waving a red flag to at a bull. Elena racked her brain trying to come up with something to appease her. Opening her mouth to reply, Elena flinched when the phone rang.

Rebekah cursed and looked down at the display to see who was calling. The smile that spread over her face gave a new meaning to evil. She slid her finger across the phone and pulled back from Elena, began walking towards the door. Relieved, Elena let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding and thanked her lucky stars that whoever it was had bought her a reprieve. She held her head up though, eager to find out what her temporary savior wanted. Right before she shut the door, Rebekah looked over her shoulder at Elena and winked. Elena froze. "Tyler, darling. You'll never guess what I picked up at the market."

**Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading….and reviews are greatly appreciated! ;) **


	26. Chapter 26

**I've had this chapter written for a while….but it felt like something was missing. And it's so short! I've tweaked it numerous times and while I'm not 100% happy with it I've just decided to post it! I'm hoping you guys like it! **

After an initial moment of shock, Damon surged forward and pulled Katherine to him, hugging her tightly. "I could kiss you." He said as he stared off into space behind her. A firm hand landed on his shoulder. Damon glanced to his left.

"I'd prefer you didn't." Elijah remarked. Damon smirked, stepped away from Katherine. He was eyeing the dagger like it was the answer to all of his problems. It wasn't, but it was a damn good start.

"Down, boy. I said I could, not that I wanted to." Damon visibly shuddered.

Katherine took offense to this and scowled at him. "I fly all the way from Italy to save you and your precious _Elena_," she sneered on the name, "from the clutches of that…." Elijah cleared his throat behind her and Katherine grinned and changed her tone, "poor misguided woman and this is the gratitude I get?" Damon winked at her.

Elijah's hands were clasped behind his back and he looked completely unperturbed by the group before him. He inclined his head in Stefan's direction. Stefan bared his fangs. "You said you'd handle her." He growled softly, not raising his voice in the slightest.

"Yes, well. I misjudged her." Elijah answered, shrugging one shoulder. "My apologies."

This enraged Stefan more. "Your apologies?" He asked. "Your 'misjudgment' got Elena kidnapped! And your beloved sister has done God knows what to her!" Caroline placed a restraining hand on Stefan's arm. "You better pray she doesn't…."

Damon cut him off. "There's only one dagger, Stef." All eyes turned towards Damon. "You need to decide who is the lesser of two evils." Elijah nodded his head once at Damon, in acknowledgment of the truce. "At least until we find the other one." A smile spread over Elijah's handsome face and he winked at Damon.

"Good luck with that endeavor, sir." Elijah murmured.

Katherine clapped her hands, quickly earning her the center of attention spot. "Alright. I rushed here from my vacation and a lovely Italian who had the most delicious aftertaste…." She licked her lips and pouted. "Can we make this fast? I'm not in the mood for a long drawn out doppelganger hunt." Damon muttered something under his breath and Katherine snickered at him but gestured at Bonnie. "Witchypoo, come with me." Katherine gave her a condescending smirk. "I hear someone is still suffering some impotency issues. I might be able to help." After handing the dagger over to Elijah, she held out her hand for Bonnie to follow her.

Hesitant, Bonnie glanced at Damon. He nodded. Jeremy huffed. She turned to hug him. "I'll be fine." Bonnie followed Katherine out, moving quickly. Time was of the essence.

Caroline was talking quietly to Stefan in the corner while he glared at Elijah. Damon's mouth quirked into a semblance of a smile. He couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. Probably because he'd been too busy watching Elena, or avoiding watching Stefan and Elena. He and Caroline were a good match. She was truly Stefan's counterpart. Something lifted off of Damon's chest then, a weight maybe. A relief that even though Damon and Elena were currently whatever they were and whatever that meant in the future, Stefan had someone else that cared about him deeply too. It soothed Damon's conscience. Somewhat at least.

Caroline's phone rang and everyone watched her, hoping it was news they could use. "Mom?" She answered. "You're on speaker."

The Sheriff didn't waste any time with pleasantries. "Her cell pinged off of a few different towers." There was a rush of air as Damon raced for his keys. They jingled as he clutched them in his hand, waiting for a direction to head in. He could get details later. The faster they moved, the less likely anything would change. The more likely Elena would still be there. "Rebekah must have turned it off, because the GPS is no longer active. She's not in Mystic Falls, though. The call hit three towers. I'm sending Damon the coordinates for all three. I'm already searching the area for close abandoned homes and buildings, motels things of that nature."

"North, South, East or West, Liz?" Damon demanded harshly. Then it hit him. He was an idiot! '_For close.' _Liz. _ 'Listen. For closure'. _Elena. Foreclosure. Elena had been sending him a message. "Foreclosures, Liz! Look for foreclosures. She was trying to send me a message." If he hadn't been so scared for her, he would have laughed at Elena's genius. Hell, he'd bet Rebekah hadn't caught on. Dumb blonde.

"I'll narrow the search." She replied.

"Direction, Liz!" He yelled again as his phone beeped to indicate the arrival of a text message. Glancing down at it quickly, he pointed at Jeremy. "Little Gilbert, you're with me. Elijah, you too. Alaric, take Caroline and Stefan follow me. Let's go!" He announced and ran out the door.

Everyone rushed out of the house, piling into two separate cars and the only sound left behind was the squealing of tires on the pavement as the cars took off leaving Mystic Falls behind.

A few minutes later, the Sheriff sent Damon a text with three addresses. Three addresses, two cars and only one dagger posed a problem. The addresses were quite the distance from each other as well. After consulting with Katherine and Bonnie who were mid conference with Gloria, Damon chose the place he believed most likely to find them. Sending Ric, Caroline and Stefan to the second most likely address, Damon crossed his fingers that she would be where he was headed and not elsewhere. Jeremy watched Ric's car take a left behind them. Elijah stared at Damon from the passenger seat.

"Is that wise?" He asked stoically.

"It's not wise to have us all head to one location when there are three possibilities." Jeremy remarked. Damon remained silent, gripping the steering wheel. He watched the GPS anxiously.

"Twenty four minutes, my ass!" He muttered. The speedometer ticked ever upward and Jeremy had a death grip on the back of Damon's headrest. "I'm hurrying Jer." He reassured him softly.

"I know." Jeremy whispered. He turned to glance at Elijah when something flickered in the back seat next to him. Jeremy jumped. His head hit the soft convertible top of the Camaro. "Jesus Christ!" He shrieked. The car jerked briefly but veered back on track immediately. He placed his hand over his beating heart as the flickering ceased and the image began to solidify.

Damon cursed loudly and was staring at him waiting for some kind of answer or explanation for his random outburst. Jeremy recognized her immediately. "Jenna." He whispered reverently. Damon's eyes widened in the rearview mirror, he was watching him intently.

"Hurry. He'll be there soon." Jenna said ominously.

"What? He who?" Jeremy hissed. "Where is she? Is she okay? Are we headed to the right place?"

"Hurry." She repeated and disappeared from the car.

"Jenna! Wait!" He called. "Come back!" Damon gave Jeremy about five seconds before he started asking questions. "All she said was hurry, he'll be there soon." Jeremy yelled. His breathing sharpened and he forced himself to calm down. A panic attack would not help his sister. Damon's foot pressed down on the gas and the speedometer climbed even higher.

"Tyler." Damon whispered. "Tyler. It's got to be Tyler." He growled, then. "Two birds with one stone."

The GPS read five minutes now, which in terms of the speed they were traveling translated to a minute or so. Jeremy pocketed one of the Vervain/Wolfsbane concoctions and slid a dagger under one shirt sleeve and a stake into the waistband of his jeans. He stared down at his eternity ring, twirled it around his finger a few times. Damon pulled the car over to the shoulder and parked. His eyes met Jeremy's in the rearview again and Damon held his finger up to his lips. The three quietly slipped out of the car, pushing their doors shut at the last second so as not to make any noise.

Jeremy texted Alaric a short message to inform him of their arrival. He didn't mention Jenna. Pressing the down volume button to quickly switch the phone into silent mode, Jeremy slipped it back into his pocket. The unlikely trio began to slowly creep through the woods towards the house. It was show time.

This was the right place. Had to be. It was too quiet. Elijah gave Damon a concerned look. It didn't bode well. As they skirted the house, Jeremy stayed back to keep out of the fray. This was it. Damon felt it in his bones. His heart refused to acknowledge what his brain was already telling him. He could smell the wolf. He was here. Perfect. He'd distract the wolf, Elijah could stake his sister, Jeremy could make sure Elena was alright and Damon would spend some quality prisoner hostage time with his favorite hybrid. He would make sure Tyler never hurt another living soul again. Ever. And all would be well.

Elijah motioned for Damon to move first. Pushing open the door, Damon moved through the house at warp speed. He cleared room by room systematically, efficiently. The mud room, the laundry room, the kitchen, the living room, the den, the master bedroom. The ache in his chest started blossoming, growing bigger and bigger as each room proved to be empty. The last room was the bedroom at the back of the house.

Damon kicked down the door and his agonized roar could be heard from miles away. "She's not here!" He screamed. "Goddamnit!" He reached down and flipped over the bed, sending it toppling end over end across the room.

He crouched low on the floor, scrubbed his hands over his face. Closing his eyes, he took a deep, unneeded breath and exhaled slowly. Feeling his fangs lengthen, he forced them to retract. He heard Elijah enter the room and opened his eyes. Glancing over at the overturned bed, he saw the zip ties dangling from the bed posts, could smell the faint tinge of blood. Elena's blood. Pressing his palms into his eyes, he groaned. "She's not here." He began to whisper repeatedly, like a broken record. "She's not here. She's not here!"

Elijah stood in the doorway, and Jeremy slowly came up behind him. Elijah barred him from entering. "I wouldn't yet, young Gilbert. He's too volatile." Elijah turned to face Damon, crossed his arms over his chest. "Rebekah, what have you done?" He muttered under his breath.

* * *

Tyler glanced over at the blonde in the passenger seat. Her bottom lip extended far beyond her upper lip. Rolling his eyes, he glanced in the rearview mirror to reassure himself that Elena was still there, still bound, still unconscious. Her head was slumped over and he felt a twinge of something as she slid and bumped her head on the window. That twinge faded quickly as Rebekah sniffled.

. "Quit pouting." Tyler said as he took the first bypass on the highway.

"I still don't see why we had to leave in such a hurry." Rebekah complained.

"You called Damon from Elena's phone." He sighed, exasperated. She turned to face him, still not understanding his meaning. Bitchy didn't begin to describe her mood. "Elena's best friend? She's the Sheriff's daughter." He picked up his phone, "These nifty little devices that allow you to do just about everything? They come with these handy dandy trackers. It's called GPS which stands for Global Positioning System. And…..the Sheriff's department has full access to that kind of shit. I'd wager Damon's halfway to your little hideout back there." Using the rearview mirror to check for anyone tailing him, he breathed a sigh of relief. There was no traffic. No one was following them. Good. "And….I'm not ready to tango with Damon just yet." He admitted.

Rebekah huffed and crossed her arms. "I could snap Damon like a twig."

Tyler indulged her with a smirk. "Of course you can, Beks." He set the cruise control and leaned back in his seat making himself a little more comfortable for the long ride ahead of them. "Now, tell me more about this 'theory' Klaus had."

* * *

Katherine sat alternating between examining her nails and twirling her soft curls around her finger. She glanced at her watch and crossed her eyes in frustration. "This wasn't supposed to take all night!" She whined. Bonnie sat in the center of the room eyes closed, silent and still. The candles lit around the room flamed higher, angrily and Katherine raised her eyebrow. "Sorry." She muttered. "So touchy."

Bonnie's eyes flew open and Katherine jumped slightly at the sudden movement. "I did it." Bonnie whispered. Her mouth curved into a smile. "I did it!" She repeated.

Katherine cleared her throat. "Ahem."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and stood, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "Sorry. _We_ did it. Thank you for your help."

"Well, let's just be on our merry little way then." Katherine darted glances around uncertainly. "This place gives me the creeps." She stood. "I don't think they like me much anyway."

Bonnie glared at her briefly, and then spoke into her phone excitedly. "Jer! I did it! I've got my powers back! Did you find Elena? Is she okay? Is Rebekah staked?" Katherine watched Bonnie's smile fade. "We'll meet you there." She whispered softly. "Jer, we'll find her."

Katherine huffed. "Perfect. Guess my vacation gets delayed even further." At Bonnie's glare, Katherine shrugged. "What? This town wreaks havoc on its resident's and/or visitors social lives."

"And yet you keep coming back." Bonnie hissed as they made their way out of the house.

"Trust me; this is the last time I end up in this godforsaken town. Elena Gilbert may be my great something or whatever but I think I've done right by the girl. She's on her own after this."

As they both climbed into the sleek sports car Katherine had 'commandeered' they sped off towards Elena's last known location. Bonnie glanced out the window, gathering her thoughts and loving the hum of the power running through her veins again. She was going to find Elena. Come hell or high water.

* * *

When the car pulled up outside of the foreclosure out in the woods, Jeremy rushed to Alaric's door. He yanked it open. "Come on," he insisted. "He won't move. Or say anything other than she's not here." Alaric glanced over his shoulder at Stefan.

"Are you sure Stefan shouldn't?" He asked as they all made their way quickly into the house. "Maybe he'll respond better to his brother."

Stefan arched an eyebrow, and Jeremy scoffed. "How many times have they attacked each other in the last 24 hours?"

Alaric nodded his understanding and slipped into the room Damon currently occupied. He took note of the bed, and the zip ties and let out a low curse. Elena was like a daughter to him. This killed him too. "Damon?" He whispered softly, like you would to a beaten dog or a scared child. Unfortunately Damon closely resembled both.

"She's not here." Damon said, without looking up at his best friend and drinking buddy, staring at something off in the corner.

"I know, Damon. We're going to get her back." Ric said, squatting so he was at eye level with Damon.

Damon shook his head. "She's gone."

Progress, Ric thought. He had changed words. Small progress, but progress nonetheless.

"Naw, man. They just moved her. Bonnie's got her powers back. She can break the tracking spell and find out where they took her. We need your help though, Damon. Can't do this without you, buddy." Alaric reached out to touch Damon's arm. Damon growled and flashed his fangs. Yanking his arm back, Alaric rocked back on his feet, held up his hands in surrender.

Elijah stood in the corner, observing the scene unfold before him. He knew the signs of an unstable vampire. Damon was a first class example. Glancing over at Jeremy, who had just disconnected another call with Bonnie, Elijah asked him quietly. "How long before the Bennett witch arrives?"

"Twenty minutes or so." Jeremy whispered, not taking his eyes off of Damon.

"That'll suffice." Elijah nodded, and strode forward. Damon sensed the change and leapt up, ready to attack but Elijah was older, more experienced, and faster. He circled Damon quickly, coming around behind him. Elijah braced his hands on either side of Damon's head and snapped his neck.

**I felt like too much was unresolved to have the final showdown in this chapter and yes I could've dragged the chapter out but….I'm HOPING that this next one will neatly (begin to) tie everything up and I didn't want you guys waiting even longer for an update! I'm planning on two maybe three more chapters! And I'm super sorry that I've gone from posting one to two chapters a week to one every couple of weeks and I really hope it hasn't lost too many readers. Thanks for sticking with me y'all! I appreciate it! And double thanks to all those who review!...Also you may or may not have noticed that I tweaked the summary a bit...the old one really didn't describe the direction this fic has taken at all! :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Whew! Longest one yet and I pray you don't think this chapter feels rushed. I wanted so much to happen here….and I'm eager and I know you're eager to get back to Delena! I really hope you like it. **

As Elena woke this time, she was under no delusions as to what was going on around her. She wasn't curled up next to Damon. No, this time her wrists were bound in front of her, pinched underneath duct tape. Gone were the zip ties, and a blanket was thrown over her lap, hiding her duct taped wrists from view should a passerby happen to peek in.

She heard the murmurings between the two new cohorts in the front seat and groaned as she tried to lift her head off of the window. The angle at which her head had been cocked had definitely put a crick in her neck and the sun was shining directly into her eyes. She blinked rapidly trying to get rid of the bright white spots in her vision caused by the sun rays. Tyler heard her groan and caught her gaze in the rearview mirror.

"Morning sleepyhead." Rebekah murmured as she turned in the passenger seat to glare at her. Elena didn't reply. Rebekah's glare turned sinister. "You're awfully rude."

"And you're just the peachy keenest of vampires." Elena returned with a sneer.

"Ladies," Tyler warned. "Let's play nice. We're almost there and then we can all soak in the brilliance of the Tennessee mountains." Elena maneuvered herself into a semi-sitting position. She scanned the scenery quickly, panic and despair settling in her stomach.

Tennessee? Why? Why Tennessee? What was in Tennessee? She almost didn't want to know. Definitely didn't want to ask, so she remained quiet and hoped that Damon was hot on their trail. Tyler and Rebekah working together was the ultimate disaster. There was no way Damon could take them both on. Stefan might be able to help, but only if he was on human blood. And then he could hardly be reliable. And Bonnie? Bonnie didn't have her full powers, so there was no telling how much she would be able to help. She couldn't think like this. It wasn't helping.

Elena decided she would have to focus on the positives. She was alive. She was unharmed, as of yet anyway. And she knew Tyler wouldn't harm her, not if he didn't desire instantaneous death. Rebekah though was a bit harder to pin down. She was definitely unstable; Elena didn't know what her motives were. She couldn't trust her. All Elena knew was that Stefan had left her and Rebekah blamed Elena. Not good.

She closed her eyes, not being able to think of any more positives. Her thoughts kept straying back to stuff she had no control over. She decided to rest while she could. She wouldn't sleep deeply, but she could rest. She had no idea of what the future held for her. She'd need her strength, her brains. And she wouldn't be able to use either if she wasn't rested. She'd know if the car stopped, would feel it.

Leaning her head against the car window, she adjusted her shoulders to avoid excess chafing and awkward positioning of her wrists and slept.

* * *

When Bonnie and Katherine showed up, Damon was slumped on the living room floor, his head bent at an unnatural angle. Stefan stood next to his brother's body protectively, all while glaring at Elijah. Caroline was powwowing with Jeremy while Alaric and Elijah talked privately across the room. Bonnie assessed the situation quickly. She cocked her head at Jeremy, asking silently if everything was okay. Elijah answered for him.

"He was unstable. It was best we sort things out before he lashed out at something, or one."

Katherine made a face at Damon's lifeless body and then beamed at Elijah. "He always was the overly emotional one." She said with a smirk.

Stefan growled and Katherine waggled her fingers at him and went to stand beside her man. Planting a kiss on his cheek, she looped her arm through his. Bonnie rolled her eyes at the spectacle that was Katerina Petrova and held up a plastic grocery bag full of candles.

"I'm going to need a quiet space." She told them and Caroline pointed in the direction of the unused bedroom. Jeremy followed close behind her as she moved past him. He took the bag from her and immediately began setting up the candles in a circle. He knew her needs before she even asked. She sent him an appreciative smile and placed her hand on his forearm. "Are you okay?" She questioned softly before she centered herself.

He nodded his head solemnly but looked away. "I saw Jenna." He whispered.

Her look was one of concern and understanding. She squeezed his arm, "Was she helpful?"

Sighing, Jeremy admitted. "No, not really. She told us Tyler was on his way and to hurry." He looked around. "By the time we got here…." He spread his arms around them to the emptiness. "It was good to see her, though. And I'm thankful she was with Elena. I hope she still is so…." He dropped off and shook his head, nodded towards the circle. "I can't lose her too, Bon." He said.

"I know." Stepping into the circle, she said a quick chant and the candles flamed to life as one. She closed her eyes, dropped to the floor inhaled deeply and began.

Twenty minutes later, Bonnie was drenched in a cold sweat and exhausted. She was out of practice, and weak. Her eyes flew open and she glanced quickly at Jeremy. Blinking rapidly, a smile broke out over her face. "Got her." She said triumphantly.

* * *

Elena's stomach rumbled and Tyler met her eyes. She had woken up only minutes earlier as the car pulled into a rest stop just outside of Chattanooga. It was barely noon based on the sun's location. She hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. And she refused to apologize for being hungry. Tyler growled at Rebekah. "You haven't fed her anything?" He asked.

She scoffed. "She's my prisoner. Not a pet."

Tyler rolled his eyes and dug out his wallet. "Be right back." He told them both before slamming his car door shut. He stalked towards the restrooms. Elena looked out the window but kept an eye on Rebekah in her peripheral vision. Her object of loathing turned in her seat again to face Elena.

Pointedly ignoring her, Elena continued to stare out the window, observing everything she could for clues. Clues she might be able to get to Damon the next time they were allowed to speak. If they were allowed to speak. "I guess you'll need fuel." Rebekah admitted. She smiled her trademark grin, the one that made reminded Elena so very much of her despicable brother. "Can't have you passing out from low blood sugar when you're making a mass number of new hybrids." Rebekah singsonged.

Elena's shocked gasp was entirely the reaction Rebekah was looking for and Elena's blood boiled because of it. If looks could kill.

Tyler opened the door suddenly, startling Elena. She had been so focused on Rebekah she hadn't seen him approaching. Snatching the blanket off of her lap, he sharpened a fingernail to slice through the duct tape holding her wrists together. Elena's sigh was one of profound relief as the crisp mountain air hit her red, raw wrists. Tyler growled low in his throat as he saw the marks caused by the zip ties. He glared at Rebekah again, but Rebekah only shrugged and turned to pull down the visor to use the mirror to straighten her hair. Tyler handed Elena a bottle of water and a snack pack of Lance peanut butter and cheese crackers.

Elena met his eyes briefly in thanks but she refused to voice it. Just because he was acting concerned right now didn't make a lick of difference in the long run. He was still a part of this kidnapping. Nothing changed that fact. Tearing open the crackers, she quickly consumed them while Tyler stood in the open car door and waited. He effectively was blocking her escape and shielding her from view all in one stance. Twisting the top off of her water took a little more effort and her wrists protested. The scabs from where the zip ties had dug into skin and drew blood were fresh and she winced as they tightened from the action.

"Do you need to use the restroom?" He asked, holding out his hand to take her trash. She handed it to him and shook her head. Tyler glanced at Rebekah in the front seat and then back at Elena again. "You're sure? We're going to be doing a lot of walking." Elena just nodded again, and glanced down at her Converses, grateful she hadn't been wearing heels when she had been snatched from the grocery store.

Tyler squatted next to her in the open car door, down to eye level and spoke softly. "You know I'm faster than you. And so is she." It wasn't a question; it was a statement of fact. He nodded towards Rebekah. Elena just stared at him. "If you try and run, we'll catch you. So cooperate. Please?" Resigned, Elena nodded. Tyler stood then, and ripped the remaining duct tape from her wrists and helped her out of the car.

Rebekah stepped out and Elena watched as Tyler slipped a bottle of water for Elena into the back pocket of his jeans. Rebekah frowned at him, but started off towards the Nature trail to their left. Elena followed reluctantly behind her and Tyler fell in last, bringing up the rear. Elena guessed it was so he could keep an eye on the both of them.

No one spoke and Elena was grateful. It enabled her to think. Escaping or attempting to escape was futile. She knew that. Tyler had made it clear. They'd just drag her back, probably rough her up a bit. At least since Tyler had joined them, she had been treated fairly decently. It didn't change anything though. His fate was sealed. His sentence already determined. The moment he'd broken Caroline's neck and tried to take off with Elena his death was only a matter of time. It didn't matter that he was suddenly kind or seemingly shielding her from Rebekah's wrath. He was a part of this shindig. And that alone was evidence enough for Damon to act. He would see only one thing, focus on one element: Elena in danger. And that meant death for all parties involved. As soon as he found her.

Elena looked up to the sky as they walked through a particular pretty clearing. And he would find her. He would always find her. It was just a matter of when. Elena prayed it was soon, because if Klaus' theory was valid then Tyler, his 'first born' so to speak could make hybrids. And that required Elena and her blood.

She was nudged from behind, and belatedly she realized that she had stopped walking, was staring at the sky. "Keep moving." Tyler whispered softly and she glanced behind her at him. She closed her eyes for a fraction of a second and thought _Hurry, Damon._ But then she slowly started walking again, following Rebekah into the next cluster of trees.

* * *

Damon groaned and opened his eyes. Death. Death to all Original vampires. It was his first thought. First thing he saw was Elijah's smug grin. Oh, good. Here was one for the killing. "Son of a…" He growled, body tensing to pounce.

"Now, now Salvatore." Elijah shook his finger in Damon's face. "You were on a downward spiral, my friend. I merely saved us all a bit of trouble." Damon glowered at Elijah but took the hand he offered to help him stand up. Damon rubbed a hand over his freshly healed neck. Spinal cord injuries always stung a little. "And," Elijah paused dramatically for effect, "I have good news."

Taking in the scene before him, Damon noticed they were all ready to leave. The group was waiting by the door, keys in hand. Eager to depart this house. Elijah dangled the keys to the Camaro in Damon's face.

"You know where she is," he said, and the relief in his voice was clear to everyone. The tension lines on his face eased and he blew out a trembling breath. Elijah's smile was less smug now and more real this time. He tossed Damon the keys. Damon looked to Bonnie and the message in his eyes was clear. She nodded gently and smiled.

"More like the direction she's headed." Bonnie declared. "And we're not far behind." Less than two minutes later they were all Tennessee bound.

They had been hiking for almost two hours. Those peanut butter crackers and the little bit of energy and carbohydrates that they had provided was quickly wearing off. A while back, Tyler had silently handed her the water bottle and she had taken long draughts, gulping it down greedily. He held out his hands for the bottle and slipped it back into his pocket after she was done with it.

They trudged on, only having stopped for Elena's benefit. Rebekah glanced over her shoulder at Tyler. "How much longer?" She fussed. "These heels are ruined."

Elena held back a snort and kept walking, still trying to fly under the radar. "Not much further." Tyler said, ducking under a tree branch. They were well off the beaten path by now. "I can smell them already." He said, with a chuckle.

Rebekah curled her lip. "That's what that smell is?" She laughed and Tyler just cocked an eyebrow. He took the lead though and Elena knew they must really be close if he was allowing Rebekah to tail her. Utterly exhausted now, Elena kept stumbling over exposed roots and large rocks. She'd take brief seconds to steady herself before moving on but she heard the soft snickers from behind her. Not even wanting to risk glancing over her shoulder she knew the smirk that would be plastered on Rebekah's face. "Humans." Elena heard her mumble under her breath and Elena sighed.

Her head pounded sure evidence that she was hungry from both the excruciatingly long walk and the stress of the past several days. Elena could hear the sounds of talking and various other noises indicating people up ahead. Her empty stomach tightened painfully, fear beginning to consume her. If this was the werewolf camp up ahead then this was likely their end destination. And hopefully not the end of Elena.

As they walked through the final clearing Elena felt the panic clawing up her throat. There were at least a dozen of them. It appeared that this was where they lived, permanently camping in the Appalachian mountains. Tents were strewn all over, a giant campfire roaring in the center and werewolves, men and women along stared at the intruders as they made their way into their camp.

One man covered in tattoos, the most prominent one a snake curled around his bicep stepped forward. This must be their leader. His eyes flickered from Tyler to Rebekah and then finally to Elena. "We don't want any trouble." The man Snake, Elena decided to call him spoke to Tyler but his eyes were focused back on Rebekah who hung back just outside of the clearing. Elena remained silent and surprisingly so did Rebekah.

"Neither do we." Tyler said, spreading his arms out in welcome, a sort of peace gesture. "In fact, I've come to save you."

Elena barely managed to refrain from rolling her eyes. Snake scoffed then laughed heartily. "Save us? How can two vampires and a human save us?"

Tyler grinned. "Let me show you." Elena averted her eyes as Tyler shifted into his werewolf form. She didn't want to see. She knew, based on Caroline's accounts that it was an extremely painful process. Though now, as a vampire hybrid she guessed the pain was brief. He must have shifted back quickly, because she heard his "Cool, huh?" and she turned in time to see Snake's jaw drop. He seemed to be shocked speechless. In fact they all seemed to be unable to form words.

After a few minutes of silence, Snake frowned. "How is that possible? You can shift at will?"

Tyler smirked. "Or not at all. You're looking at the world's first vampire werewolf hybrid." He bent at the waist, taking a small bow. Elena did roll her eyes this time. He was such an arrogant ass. Technically he was the second. She didn't plan on correcting him, though. Tyler began his spiel which really just came down to diarrhea of the mouth. "That whole sun and the moon curse? Total bullshit. What it really was…." And he talked and talked and talked. Elena couldn't remember him being this wordy. Ever. Rebekah was leaning against a tree, looking beyond bored. Elena had effectively tuned him out at this point. "And that's where my dear friend Elena comes in." Her heart stopped. Tyler turned to grin at her. "She's the key. I offer you immortality, my friends. And freedom. Freedom to shift on your own terms." He spread his arms, like he was welcoming them to a whole new world. "What do you say?"

The group grumbled amongst themselves. One girl spoke up from the back shocking Tyler and Snake. "What's in it for you?" She asked.

Tyler didn't miss a beat. "Your friendship," he shrugged. "And loyalty." I can offer you the world." He whispered. Elena rolled her eyes again before she could think about the potential consequences. The girl in the back caught it.

"She seems to think differently." The girl said, nodding her head in Elena's direction. Tyler spun to glare at Elena. His cocky grin dimmed for just a minute before he responded.

"She's just a little nervous." He waltzed over to Elena, rubbed his hands up and down her arms, warming her. "She's a vital part to the transition." Tyler smiled affectionately at her. "I won't let them lose control, Gilbert." He threw his arm around her shoulders turned them both towards the group. "So I'm asking you again, you in?" Snake made eye contact with each member of his group. An unspoken agreement passed between them. He nodded his consent.

"You'll try it on me, first." Snake announced.

"Oh, I guarantee it works." Tyler smirked.

"You'll try it on me, first." He repeated firmly. Snake stepped up to Tyler, held his hand up indicating to stay back when a scruffy guy behind him attempted to follow closely. "If it works on me, then the rest will go." The smile on Tyler's face was blinding, his white teeth gleaming and Elena had to look away again. She couldn't watch this. Nerves bundled in her stomach. She heard the group gasp as Tyler extended his fangs, pierced his wrist.

"Just a few drops, friend." Tyler murmured as he held up his wrist for the drops of blood to drip into Snake's mouth. Tyler waited as he swallowed. He made eye contact with Rebekah who was still hanging off to the side. She subtly moved behind the group, ready to grab anyone who dared to run.

"Now what?" Snake asked as he wiped a smear of blood off of his lips with his shirt sleeve.

"Now comes the part where you die." Tyler said with a fake frown. "Don't worry, it only lasts a few hours." And he reached up to hold Snake's head and snapped his neck. Everything stopped. Elena could have heard a pin drop. The birds ceased their chirping, the group ceased their murmuring, there was absolutely no sound heard. Elena looked to the girl who had spoken up in the back a few minutes earlier. They both expressed their horror and disgust for the current situation they both found themselves in with one glance. A few in the group cast furtive glances in Rebekah's direction, weighing their options and the possibility of running. But up against two vampires? They didn't stand a chance. And they knew it. Tyler met their eyes, one by one. "Now we wait."

He threw his arm back around Elena and pulled her over to a set of chairs. He plopped down into one, tugged her into the one beside him. She sat still, not wanting to draw any extra attention. Her part was up next.

* * *

Bonnie was concentrating, eyes closed. Damon kept glancing over at her, every few minutes to determine any changes. This time Damon had demanded a different group in his car, Bonnie and Jeremy. He was the lead car and she was their spirit guide. Katherine and Elijah followed behind them and Alaric brought up the rear.

Damon was flying down the highway, racing towards Tennessee. He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. They had a good three hour head start. Not great, but not the worst ever, either. Bonnie was his navigator. He knew the general direction, but the specifics were still unknown. Bonnie's gasp drew his attention from the road. Jeremy leaned forward and Bonnie's eyes were glittering with excitement as she turned towards them both.

"They've stopped." She whispered.

Damon's audible sigh of relief had Bonnie placing her hand on his arm. She squeezed reassuringly. Damon heard the short vibrations of Jeremy's phone as he texted the cars behind them regarding this new development. A thrill ran through him at the thought of her being in one place, and he was on his way there. Would be there in a few short hours. He would storm in, save the girl, kill the bad guys and live happily ever after with the girl of his dreams. Sounded good, didn't it?

He was fully prepared for it not to go down that way. Their plans never went the way they were supposed to. Life had a way of fucking you over like that. Or at least it did him. Women, family, life. It all never worked out. But dammit, that was about to change. He deserved a happily ever after too. He'd spend it however long it took convincing Elena that she was his version of the fairly elusive idea that they called HEA. However long it took.

"Do we have a plan?" Jeremy asked softly from the backseat.

"Yeah." Damon replied snarkily. "Stake Rebekah, kill Tyler. Any questions?"

Jeremy barked a laugh. "It's that easy?"

Damon turned to look at him. "I'll make sure of it."

* * *

Sometime later, Elena was oddly interested in an ant hill not far from her chair. She watched the little workers march dropped crumbs faithfully to their home. It was amazing. Their blind loyalty. The way they did their duty, never questioning their role in life. Elena scoffed under her breath. Tyler's hybrid army would likely be this way.

She sat up straighter. Tyler's army? Jesus. She had realized what he was planning. A whole group of freaks like him, capable of God knows what but she had never really thought about it like this. He was building an army. Worry knotted in her gut. How could Damon and Stefan and Caroline defeat a whole army of hybrids? Tyler and Rebekah were enough to handle as it was!

Her thoughts didn't consume her long, for murmurings began to ripple among the group as Snake whom she had learned was actually named Gabriel rose from his deathbed of dirt. Tyler stood. "Welcome back to the almost living." He held out his hand for Elena to rise next to him. She did, slowly.

"Almost living?" Gabriel asked.

"There's one more step required to complete the transition." Tyler said. This was the ultimate test. If this didn't work….

Gabriel's eyes flickered to Elena. A weird mix of aggression and apprehension crossed his face, "She's required?"

Tyler glanced at her possessively for a moment and then it was gone. Elena frowned, wondering what the hell that was about. It struck her immediately thought that it really didn't flipping matter because she was about to become a human blood bag for a vampire werewolf hybrid. Again.

"Not _her_ exactly, just a little bit of her blood." Tyler turned towards Elena. "Pick your spot, Gilbert." Elena's brows drew together, confusion etched on her face.

"My spot?" She asked acidly.

"Neck, arm, leg, wrist, wherever. Pick your spot." Tyler said the side of his mouth quirking into a smile. Elena stared at him in disgust. He was unbelievable. He wanted her to choose? She crossed her arms, but shuddered at the thought of Gabriel drinking from her neck. It was too intimate of a spot and too easy to drain her quickly, or to kill her. A quick snap of the neck was all it would take. And a newbie vampire was capable of anything once given the first taste of blood. With an internal sigh and a glare at Tyler that belied her horror and the shakiness of her arms, she offered her wrist. She couldn't believe she was doing this. Though honestly, she didn't really have a choice. It was cooperate or be forced. And at this point, she'd rather cooperate. It might make what semblance of normal she had left seem okay.

Tyler smiled his thanks at her and slid a sharpened fingernail over her wrist. All he really needed to do was pick at one of her scabs from the zip ties but she said nothing. She turned her face away as she watched Gabriel's facial features change, the veins around his eyes deepening, reddening. She closed her eyes as she felt his warm lips touch her wrist, disgusted. He began to suckle the blood that pooled there. Her stomach turned as his tongue lapped at the wound then she felt his fangs scrape her skin as he latched on and sucked hard. She felt the pull and shuddered from the invasion.

The bile rose up in her throat and she swallowed hurriedly trying to keep it down. She couldn't. Vomit spewed all over Tyler's shoes and the bottom of his designer jeans. He backed away in disgust sneering at her but not before pushing Gabriel off of her arm to discontinue his feeding. He'd had enough anyway.

Rebekah's hearty laugh could be heard over all the commotion, and Elena wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. The sun, the exhaustion, the walk, the lack of food, the blood loss and the overall situation had made her sick. She sank to her knees, weakened, her arms braced her fall. She inhaled slowly, deep calming breaths, trying to quell the urge to vomit again. A bottle of water was tossed in her direction at her hands and she didn't bother looking up to see who had thrown it. She didn't thank them either. She sipped slowly, swished it around her mouth a bit and spit it out.

Tyler had apparently commandeered more water to wash what he could off of his pants and shoes. He squatted down next to her where she still rested on all fours and grimaced at her. She made eye contact with him but said nothing.

"You all right?" He asked gruffly. Elena spit again, though not in his direction like she desperately wanted to.

"Fantastic." She responded weakly.

"Someone fetch me some crackers." Tyler called out, not taking his eyes off of Elena. No one moved. Gabriel growled.

"Fetch the girl some crackers." Gabriel repeated. Elena kept her head down, focused on her breathing, pushing the nausea back. She could only imagine how amused and pleased Tyler was at Gabriel's reaction. She couldn't worry about that. She needed to stay alert, she couldn't pass out. She needed to know what was going on, otherwise….

Saltines were pushed in front of her face. Grateful for the carbs, Elena slowly switched positions. She maneuvered into a sitting position, pulled a cracker out of the wrapper and began to nibble slowly. She closed her eyes and relished the salty, yet bland taste of the saltine that was so soothing and refreshing to an upset stomach. Still light headed and dizzy; she remained seated while Gabriel briefly went over his experience with the group. She tried to focus, she really did. But she wasn't listening to his story, she watched through unseeing eyes as Tyler donated blood to several more werewolves. Others were apparently waiting to see if all would be successful. Elena sniffled, and took another sip of water. She was slowly regaining her strength but she knew it was only a matter of time before she would have to 'donate' more of herself. And she was terribly frightened history was going to repeat itself.

She wasn't sure how many more of them she helped transition. Everything began to blur together. After the third one she vomited again. Tyler shoved a cracker in her non-offered wrist and motioned for the next to step forward. Elena saw the girl at the back of the crowd, shaking her head in horror, refusing to be a part of this. When she fell to her knees, Tyler pulled up a chair, propped her arm on the armrest. She closed her eyes for the rest. She couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't watch. Maybe if her eyes were closed she could ignore what was actually going on around her.

The last one licked her wrist almost seductively. Her stomach emptied itself again. There was nothing left but acid. Any food or sustenance had long been absorbed into her blood stream and taken from her by these leeches. She fell back into the chair Tyler had sat her in, leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She knew there was vomit on her clothes, on her face, likely in her hair. She didn't care. She needed to sleep, to rest. Her eyelids were too heavy. She had no strength left to open them.

She heard yelling, lots of commotion. She kept her eyes closed. Tyler had probably been angered by something. She didn't care. He wouldn't let them anywhere near her. She was too valuable. Who knew three days ago, she'd relax enough in the company of Tyler and believe he would protect her? She tuned everything out. Nothing mattered.

With a deep sigh, she heard her name being called. She groaned in response. And it really took too much energy to even accomplish that much. It was when she recognized the voice that she began to cry. She wasn't even sure tears fell from her eyes. It couldn't be. She was hallucinating. Her mind was playing tricks on her. She hated it. Hated hearing that voice. He wasn't here. Wasn't real. She managed to whisper. "Go away." But he kept calling her, nagging her, begging her to open her eyes.

So she did. He was right there in front of her. So beautiful. She breathed his name, and tried to reach out and touch his face. But her body wouldn't respond. He looked so heartbroken, so sad. And she couldn't do anything about it. Her head hurt, her body hurt. She was so tired. She couldn't take it anymore. Couldn't fight it. So she succumbed to it.

**Fair warning? One maybe two more chapters and I'm contemplating an epi! Love y'all! Feel free to return that love! Let me know what you think…..**


	28. Chapter 28

**Gasp! What's this? Another chapter so soon? It's almost like it was in the beginning! **** Well, first reason being yesterday was my birthday and I took the day off and I was super excited to write this chapter and I think when you get to the end you might understand why….this is where I saw it going the whole time! Also, figures I'd get good at the whole long chapter thing at the end, huh? Haha, I hope you like it! Thanks for sticking with me! **

Damon thanked all that was holy that Katerina Petrova had manipulated her way into his life. Just the thought put a sour taste in his mouth and he shuddered. Who would have thought that he'd ever, _ever_ string together that line of thinking? But she had fixed Bonnie Bennett. And Bonnie Bennett had brought him to Elena. If he lived a hundred thousand years he would forever be in both their debt. When he pushed through the foliage and saw his love lolled in the folding camping contraption they called a chair covered in and surrounded by vomit, her wrist savagely ripped to shreds, his heart lurched. He lost it. Absolutely fucking lost it.

He would later have to rely on witness accounts of the events of that day. The monster that lurked underneath the surface consumed him. And he completely blacked out.

* * *

Bonnie Bennett took in the scene with a quick glance. Having already prepared her strategy, she locked eyes with Tyler and focused on him. And on his creations. He was the center of this. And therefore the center of her wrath. The return of her powers enabled her to focus her mind numbing capabilities and her debilitating aneurysms solely on the hybrids leaving the vampires free and clear to kill the transitioned werewolves. Unfortunately this also left Rebekah free to disappear. Katherine and Elijah followed swiftly on her trail, disappearing quickly into the foliage.

Alaric built up the fire in the center of the campsite, where Stefan was currently throwing the deceased hybrids to fully ensure the end of the abominations. Caroline was swiftly compelling the few remaining werewolves that had yet to transition to run away, forget what had happened here and to find a new pack. They left quickly and silently, leaving everything behind. Jeremy knelt in front of an unresponsive Elena as Damon whirled his way through the hybrids, ripping their hearts out, decapitating some and tossing them to Stefan when he was through. There was no method to his madness. There was no color to his ordinarily enthralling blue eyes. They were dark, almost black. He was emotionless, heartless. Tyler was the last hybrid standing, or kneeling and clutching his head in pain, really. Damon quickly snapped his neck.

Stefan opened his mouth to speak, but Damon held up his hand and shook his head. Knowing his brother as he did, Stefan moved to pick up Tyler's body to toss him on the fire when Damon growled. "Leave him." Damon hissed. The threat was clear and eminent in his tone.

"But…" Stefan started.

"Leave. Him." Damon repeated.

Jeremy was shaking his sister's shoulder, calling her name over and over. She was completely unresponsive. Damon knelt down in front of her, not caring that he was kneeling in vomit.

"Elena." Damon breathed softly. "Elena, open your eyes, _tesoro._" He got no response. Her breathing was shallow, but she was still inhaling and exhaling. He gazed down at her wrist and grit his teeth, his fangs lengthening. "Please." He whispered. "Elena. Look at me, sweetheart." He got no response. So he switched tactics. "Dammit, Gilbert. Open your damn eyes and look at me. You're scaring everybody. Quit being so dramatic." She groaned. Her eyelids fluttered. He cracked a small smile, the darkness in his eyes lightening somewhat. "There you go, Elena. Come on, sweetheart."

"Go away." She said as if he was a pest and if it wasn't for his supersonic hearing he never would have heard it. It was beyond a whisper.

Her eyes opened. But they couldn't focus. They were bloodshot. Dull. Lifeless. Damon frowned. "Elena." He whispered. She drew a ragged breath.

"Damon." She met his eyes briefly, flickering over his face and on the exhale of his name her eyes closed and she stopped breathing. Without even thinking, he raked his fangs over his arm, not bothering with neat puncture marks. His arm looked remarkably similar to hers, the flesh just hanging off his wrist, the blood gushing from his vein. He held it over her mouth as Jeremy cried softly behind him.

"Drink, damn you!" He yelled. "Drink!" Blood dripped down her mouth, her throat onto her shirt, mixing with the vomit and his vision went a little hazy then. He wasn't sure why. Someone told him later it was because he was crying. He'd swear to the day he died, well died again that that shit wasn't true. Damon Salvatore didn't cry. Stefan pulled him off of her, while behind them Alaric began CPR. As Damon faintly realized what was going on around him, the fact that Elena was not breathing sunk in. He turned, unable to look at any of them. Or her. He couldn't watch her die. So he snatched a limp Tyler from the ground, slung him over his shoulder and took off down the mountain.

* * *

Katherine and Elijah had her cornered. She wasn't going anywhere. Yet she stood there, defiant. Arms crossed, chin high and she sneered at her brother. "So that's it, then?" She asked. "You're just going to stake me and stick me in a box, just like Nik?"

Elijah sighed and shook his head. "No, Rebekah." The stake was in his jacket pocket, waiting for the right time. "It's not something I want to do. You've brought this on yourself, sister."

"Me? What have _I_ done?" She shrieked. Katherine didn't have the good graces not to laugh. Rebekah looked over her shoulder and shot the doppelganger bitch the dirtiest look imaginable. "Shut it, bitch. Before I shut it for you."

"Rebekah…" Elijah said in that warning tone, that always reminded her of their father. "Elena was not a pawn. Stefan was not a pawn either. You cannot just manipulate people into your life. This punishment is just a time out of sorts if you will. It's not forever. You have my word I will unstake you in a century."

"_A century_!" She raised her voice at least an octave. "'Lijah that's not fair!"

"And neither is kidnapping an innocent girl. She's fighting for her life right now, Rebekah. For every action there is a reaction, darling. And my reaction is a consequence. For every minute you fight me I'll add ten more years." Elijah pulled the stake out of his pocket and crossed his arms, his stance unwavering. "I'm not joshing, Rebekah." Katherine snickered. Elijah moved slightly to peer around Rebekah and raised an eyebrow at her. "I'll not tolerate that, Kat." He said. Rebekah moved towards him.

"I hate you." Rebekah whispered to him as she stood in front of him, arms by her side.

"I love you, Bekah." He said softly as he swiftly drove the stake through her heart. "It pains me to do this." As she crumpled, he caught her in his arms. He turned to make his way back towards the werewolf camp. Katherine fell into step behind him.

* * *

She was distantly aware of the voices around her. They talked about her and they talked to her but she comprehended none of it. She wasn't sure how long she'd been out of it. It could have been hours, it could have been days and she probably wouldn't have been surprised if someone had told her weeks. Her head still hurt. A lot. She'd get out of bed when it felt better.

* * *

A door slammed. Then she heard the distinct sound of flesh hitting flesh. Though it sounded more like muscle to muscle. "You idiot." Caroline hissed.

"It was an accident." Stefan whispered back. "The crosswind…I didn't think…I'm sorry!" He jabbered. Elena could only imagine the death glare that she was sure Stefan was on the receiving end of. She debated briefly on whether to open her eyes now and make her consciousness known or wait.

"If she wakes up…" Caroline's threat hung in the air, unsaid but well known. Elena bit her tongue to keep from smiling. Good ol' Care. She could just picture the chagrin on Stefan's face too. Caroline walked over to the bed; Elena could feel her staring at her. Elena's eyebrow twitched and Caroline said nothing. A little softer this time, Caroline murmured. "Have you heard from him?"

"No." Stefan replied quickly.

Elena's ears perked up at this. Damon? He hadn't heard from Damon? Why the hell not? Where was he? What had happened? How had they found her? What the hell had happened at the campsite? Had they killed the hybrids? Rebekah? Tyler? Jesus. There were too many questions unanswered. She needed to wake up. And now her head hurt again. A lot. Caroline said something but it sounded like complete gibberish to Elena. Tired again, Elena shut down. She'd wake up when she felt better.

* * *

A groan filled her ears. She flinched, scrunched her nose up. Groaning at the pain this caused she repeated this cycle again. Apparently the first groan had come from her. Mumbling again. "Can't you give her more pain medication?" Elena perked up. Matt?

"It's some kind of weird doppelganger thing." Alaric? "She's not responding to pain medication. Or vampire blood. Or anything else Meredith has tried. So we just have to wait it out."

"But she's not a vampire?" Matt asked. "She didn't die, right?" Oh, Elena desperately wanted to know the answer to this question.

"No, she's not a vampire. I was able to revive her before Damon's blood could take effect." Alaric whispered. _Thank God, _Elena thought. While at one point in her life it was something she would never even have considered now it was something that was niggling the back of her brain. It wasn't something that wouldn't ever happen, but it definitely wasn't something she didn't want a say in. And all this thinking had made her tired. Again. How much sleep was it going to take to bring her back to some semblance of normal?

* * *

Elena opened her eyes with and groaned at the unexpected influx of light. A sudden whoosh of air and the room went dark. She blinked rapidly and as things eventually came into focus she turned her head to see Stefan standing at the foot of her bed. He looked nervous. She brought her hands up to feel her head. It felt like her brain was trying to escape her skull through any and all orifices available. She took a deep calming breath.

"How are you feeling?" Stefan whispered softly.

"Where's Damon?" Elena asked, and then grimaced. Her voice was so raspy. From non use she was guessing. And if she could have rolled her eyes without igniting a monster migraine she would have. But that was literally the first question that popped into her brain.

Stefan rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. "I'm not sure. He's not returning any of our phone calls. Or texts." Elena stared at the wall.

"Does he know I'm alive?"

"I don't know what he knows," Stefan admitted. He moved over to her window seat, braced his elbows on his knees, and laced his fingers together. "He took off before Alaric was able to revive you. Like I said, he hasn't responded to anything. He could be anywhere with Tyler, doing anything. I don't know, Elena."

"Maybe if I called him…" She threw her covers back, swung a leg over the side of the bed. A wave of nausea hit her.

"Whoa!" He leapt up, cupped her elbow with his hand. "Elena, whatever happened to you up on the mountain wasn't cured by vampire blood. It helped, but it didn't fix you. You need to rest; your body hasn't healed yet." She covered her face with her hand, took a deep breath.

"I have to find him, Stefan." She pleaded, but she slid her leg back onto the bed.

"He's unreachable right now, Elena. Let's get you better. Then we'll go looking for Damon, okay?" Stefan pulled the covers back over her. He reached for her hand, squeezed it. "Rest, Elena. We'll find him soon, okay?" Elena closed her eyes and slept.

* * *

The next time she woke, different people were in the room. The light had changed, it was dusk it seemed.

"How long have I been out?" She asked.

"This time or since the beginning?" Caroline asked, peering over at Jeremy.

"Either. Both. Whatever." Elena said, glancing quickly at both of them, squeezing Jeremy's hand.

"We found you three days ago. Your conversation with Stefan was a little over twelve hours ago." Caroline said softly. She handed Elena a glass of water and two pills.

"What are these?"

"Pain pills. Meredith got them for you. For some reason…"

"…the vampire blood didn't heal me like it should have." Elena interrupted. She quickly swallowed the pills. Caroline frowned, glanced at Jeremy. "I was in and out. Heard snippets of conversation. Has anyone heard from Damon yet?"

Jeremy shook his head. "No. No one's been able to contact him."

Elena grit her teeth, moved to get out of bed. "I've got to find him." Caroline jumped up.

"No! No, Elena. You're not well. Not yet. Soon, okay? Stefan and Alaric, and my mom, we've all got feelers out. We're looking for him, okay? We're not giving up on him; we're just focusing on you. We need you to get better. Meredith is supposed to be coming by in a little bit to check on you." Caroline made eye contact with Jeremy and Elena looked back and forth between the two, confused. "If you pass her tests, then we'll talk about getting out of bed, okay?"

Elena grumbled but reluctantly sank back down into her pillows. Jeremy leaned over to kiss her forehead and squeezed her hand. "I'll be downstairs if you need me." He told her. "Love you." He whispered.

"Love you too, Jer." She whispered back. Caroline stood in her doorway for a minute and after glaring at her for a second Elena finally quirked the side of her mouth into a smile. "Thanks, Care." Caroline smiled. "Love you."

"Love you too." And Caroline waved and disappeared down the stairs.

* * *

This time when Elena woke there was no one in the room. Good. She glanced at the clock. It was early. She slipped out of bed tentatively, testing her head and limbs carefully. Everything responded like it should, slightly angry but correctly. Elena pulled on a pair of jeans, grabbed a button up. His button up. As she pushed the buttons through the holes, one by one, she closed her eyes and remembered how just a week ago; he had stood in front of her and unbuttoned these same buttons. Resolved, she snatched her phone and keys and opened her bedroom door. Stefan stood on the other side.

"Where are you going? Why are you out of bed? Are you crazy? What if you fell down the stairs? Jesus, Elena!" He took her by the elbow, tried to escort her back to bed and Elena jerked away from him.

"I'm going to find him."

"Find him? Elena! He's lost." Stefan told her. And the sad look on his face at one point in time would have done her in. She pursed her lips at him.

"He's not lost, Stefan. He doesn't want to be found, there's a difference. The same could be said of you at one time. And Damon never told me not to look for you."

Stefan ran a hand over his face. "I just don't want to see him break your heart, Elena."

She laughed then. "Like you did?"

His eyes were pained. "That was never my intention."

She softened, moved into his arms, and embraced him. "I know, Stefan." His eyes flew open. But seeing the look in her eyes, his heart deflated just as quickly as it had risen. This was it she knew. Their defining moment. She had to tell him, sever ties. End their relationship, so she could truly move on to her new one. "Stefan. You and I? We're too easy, too compatible. Life with you would be perfect. But that's not the life I want." She whispered. "I don't want easy or normal…if you can even have normal with a vampire. I want an all consuming love, one that's passionate, painful, and adventurous." Elena's eyes flitted past him to the girl just beyond the stairs, who was currently desperately trying to pretend she wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation. "And I think that kind of love for you is closer than you think."

"I can fix it. I can fix us. If you let me." Elena sighed, pulled back to look at him. She smiled gently.

"I know you would try, Stefan. And I love you for that. I do." She cupped his cheek with her hand, wiped away a tear with her thumb.

"I still love you." He whispered. "If you so much as breathe my name, I would drop everything." He closed his eyes, leaned his forehead against hers. "Everything."

"I love you too. I will always love you. You came into my life when I needed you the most. You make me feel safe."

Stefan swallowed, closed his eyes. His whisper was pained, "But…." She nodded and smiled at him softly. She stood on her toes and pressed her lips ever so gently against his. It shouldn't have surprised her at all that even though she truly still loved Stefan she felt nothing like she used to when she kissed him. No tingle, no buzz, no passion, nothing.

He leaned his head down and she brushed a tear away with her thumb. He pulled her back into a hug and held her close. He couldn't speak, he just bit his lip. She kissed his jaw, hating to see that look of despair in his eyes. This scene was too familiar, it reminded her too much of the time in the Salvatore boarding house when she had broken up with him. Tears coursed down his face this time too and Elena looked away. She pulled back, even as he reached for her. "Elena," He murmured, holding out his hand.

She merely shook her head at him. "I have to find him." She whispered softly. He was still biting his bottom lip in distress and though it tore at her heart, Elena stumbled down the steps, ran past Caroline and slammed the front door behind her.

The figure on the porch steps stopped her in her tracks.

* * *

"You're alive." He said, almost callously. Elena's smile that had spread across her face immediately upon seeing him dimmed quickly, and she frowned at him, cocked her hip and crossed her arms.

"You'd know if you answered anybody's calls or texts."

"I was elbows deep in hybrid guts. Didn't want his tainted blood on my phone. Since you're alright then, I'll be on my merry way. Oscar worthy speech by the way there, Gilbert." He whispered gruffly as he tilted the bottle of bourbon to his lips. He kept his back to her. Couldn't look at her. His heart was broken. He'd had a shitty couple of days. Spent the last few picturing the love of his existence covered in blood and vomit, not breathing, keeled over, blah blah, and using that image to bludgeon, torture and eventually kill the disgusting hybrid he held responsible. He'd been torn by inconceivable grief. He wasn't proud of the things he'd done. Not now, not looking back at it. But he wouldn't apologize for any of it. And in the end he'd given Tyler a proper burial. When it all came down to it, Tyler had once been their friend, and he was the Mayor's son. Elena had been vindicated. And before he'd died Tyler had apologized for the things he'd done. That was all Damon had cared about. Elena was his everything.

Apparently Stefan was hers. He laughed self deprecatingly.

"You heard that?" She asked softly.

"Heard enough." He said, standing up. Or at least he tried to. This was his fifth bottle of bourbon. He thought. He held onto the column and pushed himself into a standing position took a step forward. "So no need to explain. See ya round." He slurred as he began to stumble to his car.

Elena was leaning against his car door by the time he got there. He looked back at the porch confusedly then back at her. She rolled her eyes at him. He wasn't in the mood for this. "You're an idiot." She told him.

"Excuse me?" He glared at her.

"You." She poked a finger in his chest. "Are an idiot." His eyes widened and if she was anyone else she might have had to worry about him going off on some rage induced mauling spree on her but he would never. And she merely smiled.

"Are you mocking me?" He asked.

She pointed her finger at her chest, right at the point where the buttoned buttons ended and the two edges of the shirt began. It alluded to skin. A lot of skin. His throat tightened and he swallowed and grimaced. "Me?" She said huskily. That tone of voice did a number on his self control and his body. His lower half twitched and he shifted to avoid her undue but completely wanted attention there.

"Yeah, you." He hissed. He looked away. He had to because she was wearing his shirt and that wrenched his heart more than hearing her tell his brother that she still loved him. Somewhere deep down he knew that she still loved Stefan and would probably always love him. He had just hoped….but hope was a bitch. Just like life. And love. And every other possible emotion.

He was just glad she was alive. And obviously not a vampire. He had resolved himself to never seeing her again. After burying Tyler, he had made his way out of the mountains, found his way back to his car and driven like a mad man back to Mystic Falls. Stopping off at a truck stop briefly for a shower if only to wash the blood off of his hands, he'd shown up on her front doorstep expecting to find her brother and his brother both dressed in black mourning the loss of yet another beloved member of the group. Their center, their heart and most certainly, his heart.

But seeing her here, seeing this smile on her face was gut wrenching. Why was she smiling at him like that? Torture. She was sadistic. Using his feelings for her against him. "Move, Elena." He sighed again. "You don't owe me anything. I get it, ya know. It was always, Stefan." She didn't budge. And she was still smiling.

"Look at me." She said. He refused to look. And she refused to move. They were at an impasse.

So she repeated herself harshly. "Look at me. Dammit, Damon. Stop being so damn dramatic." He quirked a brow and glanced at her. "Are you listening to me? Because I'm only going to say this once." He nodded. He would listen, and then he would head home, pack his bags and get the hell out of Mystic Falls. Having known the heaven that was having Elena as his and then losing her to his brother; he couldn't sit around and watch them together. He'd rather rip his own heart out. It's essentially what he'd be doing anyway. No, he would head somewhere, anywhere. Lose himself for a while.

"Listening." He said, taking a swig of his bottle of bourbon. She snatched it from him and set it on the hood of his car behind her.

"Listen good." He rolled his eyes at her and she slapped him. His jaw dropped and he straightened to his full height prepared to let her have it when she pulled the rug right out from under him. "I love you."

He jerked his head back, completely not expecting that. The bourbon must have really muddled his head more than he thought. He shook his head as if that would clear his stupor. "If you would perfect your snooping skills a little bit better, you'd have heard me tell Stefan that I love him, yes. He's safe." She shrugged a shoulder. "Probably the better choice. But you make me feel alive. I have never felt for him, what I feel for you." She stepped closer, looped her arms around him, and tilted her face up to his. "I love you _more_, Damon." She whispered, softly emphasizing the more.

He stood there for a minute, processing. He was after all, slightly inebriated. And by slightly, he meant very. His heart was in his throat and he wasn't sure what to say. Wasn't sure how to react. He didn't know how to tell her that she was his everything. That life without her was incomprehensible. So instead he leaned forward and captured her mouth with his. He brought his hands up to cup her face, rubbed his thumbs lovingly over her cheeks. The kiss was soft and sweet, loving. Their lips floated together sliding blissfully over one another. He pulled her lower lip between his, tugging and teasing, the tip of his tongue sliding in. With a groan, he pulled away, breathed her in. She filled him with a new sense of hope. He rested her forehead against hers. "Say it again?" He murmured.

"Hmm?" She asked softly, eyes still closed. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and she leaned into his touch.

"Say it again." He repeated.

She opened her eyes and the most beautiful smile he had even seen spread across her face, "I love you, Damon Salvatore."

"I love you too." He whispered and he began to nuzzle her ear, trailing kisses down her neck, rubbing his nose gently against the spot that he knew from experience drove her crazy. Her head fell back, a moan slipping from her lips. He reached up to cradle her head, catching it before it hit the hood of the car. He brought her head back up, to tease the spot that would elicit this kitten-esque growl that -yep, there it was. He grinned against her throat as she squirmed against him. Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. He reached around her to grab it.

_Taking Stefan to my place to drown his sorrows. Feel free to use the boarding house for other activities. I want all the deets later! Glad you're feeling better! ;) –Care_

Elena snatched the phone out of his hands, read it quickly and tossed it through the window. She placed her palm over his heart. "Tell me what you want, Elena." He whispered with a sexy grin.

Elena countered his with one of her own. "I want to go to Northwestern, and Chicago and I want to see the world. With you." She said, tugging him closer.

"Well, isn't that a coincidence, because I want to share the world with you. But I was speaking in the more immediate sense." He told her as he dragged his lips down her throat and into the v of her shirt.

"Oh." She murmured, eyes closed. It took her a minute to respond and he smiled. "You." She whispered as she redirected him back to her lips where she met him for a passionate kiss, igniting a fire that had been ignored for far too long and burning for so much longer. His skin was cool to the touch as she skimmed her hand down his neck and under the back of his shirt but it quickly absorbed the warmth of her body. She shivered as he trailed his fingertips over the exposed skin her open shirt revealed leaving goose bumps in their wake. When his fingers could go no further without unbuttoning more buttons in her front yard in the middle of the day he abandoned his efforts and slid his palm across her stomach, teasing the skin above her jeans as he placed kisses along her jaw line. Her head fell back against the hood of the car again and her ragged breathing mixed with his moan and brought them both back to reality. "We can't do this here." She said brokenly as she rested her head against his chest.

He grinned wickedly. "Gives a whole new meaning to 'neighborhood watch'." At her laugh, he pried her limp body off of his door and opened it quickly. "Get in, Gilbert." He arched an eyebrow at her. "I'll take you for a ride."

* * *

Bonnie sat across from Jeremy at the Mystic Falls Grill. Things were finally getting back to some semblance of normal. At least as normal as Mystic Falls could be. Katherine and Elijah had left shortly after learning that Elena would recover. Elijah had apparently tired of hearing of Katherine's incessant whining. They had carted Rebekah's corpse in a coffin, shipped it overseas and compelled whomever necessary to keep it with them as they moved from flight to flight and from place to place. Elijah didn't want it leaving a 500 foot radius of his person.

Caroline had texted her a few minutes ago stating that Damon was back and he and Elena were shamelessly making out in the driveway and not to allow Jeremy to come home anytime soon unless he desired to be any more scarred for life than he already was. She had apparently dragged Stefan out the back to her house so the two could have a little privacy and Bonnie was betting so Caroline could work her magic on Stefan as well.

Jeremy was fiddling with his drink, twirling the straw around the cup again. It was apparently a nervous tick he suffered from. She reached out and placed her hand over his. "Stop." She whispered. He looked up at her through his impossibly long eyelashes and her heart melted. "I think we can give this…us another try."

His face warmed, his eyes smiled at her. It was something she'd always liked about Jeremy. His eyes were so expressive. "You mean it?"

She smiled brightly at him and nodded. "Yeah. It's going to take some work." He nodded, abandoned his straw and covered her hand with his. He squeezed it tight.

"Bonnie, I…"

"I know, Jeremy. Almost losing Elena….it made me realize…" The light in his eyes dimmed minutely and she sighed, hating that she did that but it was necessary. Sometimes it took a monumental scare to make you realize what was right in front of you. Jeremy swallowed and ran his thumb across her knuckles, reluctantly nodded.

"Life is too precious?" He asked.

"Something like that." She said. He stood and for a moment she frowned, until he came around the booth and slid into the seat next to her. Throwing his arm around her shoulders, he pulled his drink over to him and took a big slurp. Bonnie rolled her eyes. Yeah, things were back to normal. Matt stopped by to chat and refill Jeremy's drink. And later when Meredith and Alaric came in to grab a bite to eat they joined the younger couple and made plans to have that sit down, get to know each other dinner at the Gilbert house soon.

* * *

His hands were everywhere. They'd barely made it inside the front door, before he'd tore at the shirt she wore, the buttons popping off scattering in different directions. He managed to kick the front door closed before she leaped into his open arms, wrapped her body around his and held on tight. She ran her nose along the side of his neck, extracting a groan from him as he conquered the steps two at a time on the way to his bedroom. She peeled his shirt off quickly, tossing it somewhere as they went. He reached his bedroom in record time but his destination wasn't the bed. He stopped just inside the door, pinned her against the wall.

He stopped briefly to look at her, and with her encouraging smile he kissed her. Tenderly at first. He grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head. With his other hand he deftly reached around her and unsnapped her bra. She whimpered and bit his bottom lip, rolling her hips into his, desperately trying to tell him what she wanted. He skimmed his hand across her stomach toying with the waistband of her jeans. She whimpered again. He smiled against her throat. "Tell me what you want, Elena. You only have to ask." He watched as she blushed, and he traced the blush with his finger enjoying the goose bumps that followed.

"Damon," she breathed, "touch me."

He chuckled softly, enjoying teasing her. "I am, Elena." Her groan this time was one of frustration and she jerked her hands free to grasp his head and bring it to hers. She kissed him ravenously like she was dying of thirst and he was her only source of water. She drank him in and he gave her everything he had. With a small smile, he indulged her wants. He brushed his hand casually over her breast causing her to throw her head back against the wall.

"I need you. Now." She said hoarsely, reaching in between them tearing at his jeans. He couldn't help but smile at her again as he assisted her in the removal of his pants and shortly thereafter the removal of hers. He wasn't sure when she had taken control of the situation but their roles had definitely been reversed and he couldn't say he was disappointed. She pushed him back onto the bed and crawled up on top of him. As she sat down on him slowly easing him inside her, she threw her head back in ecstasy. He watched her in fascination. She was so beautiful. Two years ago, he would have never imagined he would be here today. She braced a hand on his chest, tangled the other in her hair and slowly started rocking up and down.

This was her show, but still wanting to remain an active participant he placed his hands on her hips, guiding her pace, but allowing her to do whatever came natural to her. His heart swelled with love for her, pride for her. She leaned over him, desiring kisses and other things. Her breasts and nipples teased his chest, pleasuring them both. He kissed her softly, slowing the pace, kneaded her breast, rolled her nipple and she gasped into his mouth in delight. Their tongues met and tangled heatedly. Elena tightened her thighs, working her lower body into a rhythm concentrating on finding her pleasure. There was a need building inside of her and she desperately wanted that release. Damon sensed that need and he began to murmur loving nonsense into her ear as he gripped her hips digging his fingers almost painfully to increase the friction.

Without warning the pressure building inside Elena reached its peak and she cried out, yelling his name. Her release triggered his and he groaned, burying his head in the crook of her neck. He rubbed his hand up and down her back soothing the occasional moan that escaped her lips. She rested her head on his chest, and brushed her lips over his heart. "Love you." She murmured as she snuggled closer in his arms. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Love you too." He whispered back. They lay like that for a long time, both content to just be. It had been a long hard road to get here. A lot of bumps, bruises, harsh words and broken hearts. But in the end it had all come together. Neither of them would change a thing.

**Gah lemons! Better/worse this time? I'm working on it….let me know! And forgive me if the whole Tyler/ Rebekah thing seemed sort of anti-climatic. I really didn't want to waste any more time on them. I really hope I covered all the odds and ends and if I didn't….rookie mistake? Forgive me? =D Feel free to tell me about it though…b/c if I feel it's a big enough goof I'll probably go back and fix it! **

**So I think I'm going to end it on this happy note! It's been an interesting ride folks! Thank you so very much to those of you who've been with me from the very beginning….and to those of you who've joined me along the way….and even to those of you who've joined me once I've marked it complete ( I totally used to be one of those people!) A BIG HUGE GINORMOUS thanks to those of you who reviewed….you people rock my world…..I heart you. :) **

**For those of you who are curious...yes, I am planning on writing something else….something AU (and I promise full chapter worthy lemons next go round!). I'm still playing around with it…but I would expect a chapter up w/in the next month or so! **

**And for those of you who aren't curious well poo on you…you should have stopped reading this AN a long time ago! **

**And yes….I am planning on an epilogue….expect one in another week, maybe two! Thanks again guys for everything! You've made this a truly awesome experience! **


	29. Epilogue

** I had a LOT, and I mean a LOT of fun writing this! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It's been bittersweet writing it too, knowing it's definitely coming to an end. And a mini celebration b/c I actually finished this FanFic and with a following I never imagined I'd have. A big thanks to psymplemind for all the amazing reviews! I loved reading each of them (and hate that I couldn't respond to 'em) ;) ! I did proofread…but it's late and it's a pretty big chapter (for me at least) but I'm sure there's some goofs in there! Overlook them! :) Here it is guys…the epilogue of Near to You! **

Elena studied her reflection in the mirror. She looked….happy. Healthy. And still human. She pondered that for a moment. He never brought it up. Ever. He had told her once it didn't matter to him. And that was the last time he had mentioned it. Over the years she had noticed things. Things about herself. Her eyes widened, the crows feet that had once graced Isabel's face had begun to make an appearance. It was faint, but they were there. Her body was aging. She was aging. As she was meant to. And Damon was not. It didn't use to bother her. She never used to think about it. But now, she found herself wondering. What if.

Sighing, she glanced over at the beautiful bouquet on the table. Admired it for a moment. The card was displayed prominently, the words scrawled elegantly.

'_Best wishes on your big day. Sorry we couldn't make it. Congratulations! Love, Elijah & Kat.' _

It made her smile. Over the past few years Elijah and Katherine had visited often, keeping up with the group. Of course Katherine had complained and whined as usual but Elijah ignored her as long as she remained civil to everyone. Which she was, surprisingly. Love had changed her, Elena supposed. Mellowed her out. Though they were quite the odd couple, their polar opposites seemed to mesh well together. She knew they were somewhere in Australia this time and not due for a visit for a while, but the flowers were a sweet touch. Elijah's gesture, no doubt.

Elena glanced back at the mirror one more time, wiped a sweaty palm across her forehead, and then swiped it on her leg. She was nervous. She shouldn't be nervous. People did this all the time. This was just another day. Just another big, life altering game-changing day. Everything would be different after today. She could hear Caroline pacing on the other side of the door. If anything, this made her nerves worse. And as if he could sense it, and knowing him he probably could Elena's phone buzzed.

_Quit worrying. You'll wrinkle. And don't be nervous. Just focus on me. You can picture me naked if it helps. ;) I'll be waiting. –D_

Elena's heart calmed and she texted him a quick reply. "Elena!" Caroline yelled from the living room. "You're going to be late! We need to go!" With a sigh, Elena snagged the zippered bag that contained her gown, met her still best friend who was beaming from ear to ear. "You didn't put on your gown yet? Elena!" Caroline whined.

Elena shrugged. "I can put it on when we get there. It'll only take a second."

Caroline tugged at the ends of her perfect blonde curls. "Lord, help me. Let's go! We're gonna be late! And everybody's already there!" Caroline snatched the bag from her and pushed her out of the door. "Move it!"

Outside the front door a black Lincoln town car was waiting for them and expertly guided them through traffic towards their destination. Elena sat back and watched the city pass by. Traffic was unusually light this morning so they arrived with just a few minutes to spare. Elena was recognized immediately and ushered into the back where she quickly slipped the gown over her head and Caroline zipped it up.

With seconds to spare, Elena was ready to go. She turned to smile back at Caroline. Caroline beamed at her, waved a happy little wave and disappeared through the back door. Elena heard the music, and pushed through the curtain.

The crowd was absolutely huge. There were rows and rows and rows of people. Everywhere. Taking a deep, steadying breath Elena reminded herself that it would all be over shortly. No need to work herself up over something like this. She could do this. She quickly scanned the crowd, eager to find the familiar faces she loved so much. She needed her focal point.

Damon's face was the first, the easiest to spot. He smiled at her, mouthed 'I love you' and winked. Elena grinned. She mouthed it back and the smile that graced his face gave her goose bumps. It was amazing that even after all these years he still gave her chills. But he did. And his ego knew it. With a deep, trembling exhale Elena stepped up to the microphone.

"Friends, family, fellow graduates!" She greeted the crowd and began her Valedictorian speech. The one Damon had painstakingly helped her write. He had listened to her complain for hours and hours, had laughed at her, then soothed her when she was ready to pull her hair out. She glanced at a few in the crowd, making eye contact with those she knew and those she didn't. When her eyes automatically found Damon in the crowd those around him smiled, knowing the connection between the two was unbreakable. Over the past four years, she and Damon had been the power couple of Northwestern University. Always together. If you saw one half, the other was somewhere nearby. Damon had elected to take some classes with her. He was graduating today, too.

She remembered when she had received the envelope in the mail; everyone had congregated around the kitchen table with her. Damon, Jeremy, Alaric, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt. The only one missing had been Stefan. He'd been trying his own version of rehab and needed to stay away from all things human. Damon had handed her the envelope with that signature cocky grin and her heart had beat so excruciatingly fast she wasn't sure her body could take the pressure. After ripping it open, she skimmed the letter quickly rereading the 'Congratulations' part over and over before she began jumping up and down. After the shock had worn off, she had embraced Damon and laughed when he handed her his own acceptance letter. 'Figured I could learn a thing or two while we're there,' he had whispered.

"We love you Elena!" Caroline yelled from somewhere in the back, pulling Elena from her thoughts. She smiled, her nerves completely dissolving. She kept her speech short and sweet. No one wanted to listen to a bunch of people ramble on for hours; they wanted their diploma, and their picture taken with it and to get out. Elena understood. She finished her speech with a flourish and with a roar from the crowd, they stood to applaud.

She looked out over the crowd, spotting Caroline who stood next to Jeremy. He was whistling and clapping wholeheartedly. He had grown up so much in the last four years. She had been so scared to leave him. But Damon, Alaric and Bonnie had all convinced her that Jeremy would be fine. Jeremy had spoken with her as well, and after many talks and promises Elena had made the move with Damon to Chicago. And Jeremy had done just fine for himself. He was in his junior year at Virginia Tech going for a Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design. Surprisingly, or not surprisingly he and Bonnie were still together. She stood to his right, clapping just as much as Jeremy. She had gone to the community college up the road from Mystic Falls for the first year until Jeremy had been accepted into Virginia Tech. She had transferred up there then and was due to graduate next week with a degree in business management. She wanted to open up her very own 'witchy voodoo' shop.

Alaric stood on the other side of them, his arm around his expectant wife. Alaric and Meredith had gotten married two years ago in a sweet, small ceremony by the Falls. Meredith was due later this month with a girl and Alaric couldn't be more terrified. Elena was glad he had found someone that could make him happy. And understand the nature of his ragamuffin family. There hadn't been much need for the Scooby gang as Damon had begun calling the group over the past year or two. Mystic Falls had been sort of quiet since Elena and Damon had vacated the area. It seemed with Elena gone, and Klaus, Tyler and Rebekah out of the picture there was no need for any extra supernatural entities to make their way into the town. So life had pretty much gone back to normal for the small town residents.

And then there was Stefan. He stood on the other side of Caroline, a small smile on his face. It was a sad smile really and Elena felt her heart lurch just a little. She and Stefan had mended their relationship, grown close again as friends. But there would always be this slightly awkward thing between them. They had done their best to deal with it, but she knew she had broken his heart. She saw Caroline step closer to him, slip her hand into his. Stefan's smile brightened and he leaned down to brush a kiss over her forehead. Caroline beamed up at him and whatever heartache Elena had felt instantly vanished. They made each other happy, too. Their relationship had gotten off to a rocky start. Caroline wanted Stefan to try this form of control and Stefan tried to do it his own way. That back and forth thing lasted for a few months before they both eventually reached a compromise. It was a structured form of rehab and involved bagged blood. Minute amounts of it. Caroline had rationaled that it wasn't hurting anyone. He could survive that way, be stronger. It had taken a while for it to sink in. And talking. Lots of talking. Their friendship had slowly blossomed into love. And they were still talking. Turned out Caroline's flightiness was the perfect antidote for Stefan's broodiness. She could draw him out of his shell when not even his brother could. In a way, Elena thought Caroline probably reminded him of Lexi. They were opposites, and friends. And both broken hearted. They had helped each other heal.

Caroline had elected to stay in Mystic Falls. She wanted to be a part of everything, be near her mother for as long as she could. She was currently the town's event coordinator. Not only did she do the town's events she also did private parties, birthdays, weddings, showers, the whole nine yards. And loved it. Bossing people around and planning things was totally Caroline's niche. The only one missing today was Matt. Matt had gone to play football on scholarship out at USC. And their graduation was later this afternoon, so he wasn't able to make theirs and they weren't able to make his. They were all planning on meeting up later this summer for a big celebration though to make up for it.

As the applause died, Elena took her seat and several minutes later she winked at Damon as he walked by to accept his diploma. It should have been him up there accepting the Valedictorian speech but Damon wasn't flashy about his intelligence. Instead he had projected it onto Elena, helping her study when she had been ready to give in, to give up. Now that she had her degree in Journalism she had no idea what she wanted to do with it. She never thought she'd make it this far. College, a degree, the opportunity to do anything she wanted to, go anywhere she wanted to go. The possibilities were endless, at least according to Damon. She had a while to decide though; Damon wasn't pressuring her to make any kind of decisions. There was one decision, though that was burning at the back of her brain.

As the ceremonies concluded, Elena rushed through the masses of people, eager to reach her family. Most of them had gotten in this morning, with the exception of Caroline who had flown in last night to help her get ready. Hair, makeup, and nails, apparently were still some things that Caroline could not trust Elena to take care of by herself. There was also the party dress for tonight that had to be picked out. God knows, Elena couldn't pick out a dress by herself. So of course they'd gone shopping. On Damon's dime.

Shortly after they'd moved to Chicago he'd added her name to one of his checking accounts. Elena had flipped a lid. It was probably their biggest fight to date. He'd insisted that if she was going to live with him, going to go to school she wasn't going to worry about working. She could if she absolutely wanted to. But she wouldn't have to. He had more money than he knew what to do with, so she could have a debit card to an account. It wasn't the end of the world, at least not to him. After a few days of silent treatment, he'd handed it to her, told her to use if wanted to or throw it away, whatever. She rarely used it, didn't like thinking of herself as a freeloader. He tried to tell her repeatedly that putting up with his crap was sort of like a job in itself. Smirking at the thought, Elena pushed through the crowd. She had to stop and let an elderly couple pass by when she felt lips brush her ear, "Amazing speech there, Gilbert." He murmured. His arms slipped around her waist and she leaned back into his embrace.

"Thanks. I had a little help." She replied with a smile. Resting his chin on her shoulder, he squeezed her in a hug.

"Congratulations, Elena. I'm so proud of you." He told her. She turned in his arms and hugged him back. Stepping up on her toes, she stretched to kiss his lips.

"Congratulations to you too."

He laughed. "This?" He indicated his diploma. "Just another to add to my collection." He stepped back, tugged on her hand. "C'mon. I'm sure the Scoobies are fighting to get to you!" He swiftly led her through the crowd, the masses parting immediately for him like they always did.

Jeremy was the first to spot her and she leapt into his arms. He spun her around, her bright purple gown billowing and kissed her cheek. "Congratulations, Elena." He told her. He set her back on the ground and Elena hugged him fiercely. "Who would have thought the queen of absences in Mystic Falls would be the Valedictorian at Northwestern?" Elena laughed when Damon raised his hand. He moved over to embrace his own brother, laughing as he indicated his purple gown. Elena swiftly moved through the group, greeting each individual and rubbing on Meredith's belly. Alaric was next and Elena said teasingly, "Daddy." Alaric blushed but pulled Elena into a hug and rocked her back and forth.

"Your mother and Jenna would be so proud." He whispered solely so she could hear. Elena blinked back tears and pulled back to look at him. She nodded and bit her lip. "I'm proud too. You did good, kid." He said with a meaningful smile.

"Thanks, Ric." Elena said. Last but not least, she made her way over to Stefan. She pulled him into a hug before he could shy awkwardly away from it. Caroline and Damon stood behind him, both were very encouraging of their relationship but it just wasn't what it used to be. "Thanks for coming, Stefan." She whispered.

"Wouldn't miss it." He said shyly as he returned her hug. "Congratulations. Good speech."

Elena smiled. "Damon helped."

Stefan cracked a smile and Elena did a mental fist pump. "Thought I heard a few of his touches in there, thought maybe he was just rubbing off on you."

Elena laughed. "I guess he's doing that too."

"Alright, folks. I've had enough of all these…..people, for now." Damon announced. "Let's head back to our place so we can change and we can do lunch somewhere. Preggers over there has to eat. And then we can all rest tonight for the big event, right Care?" Caroline nodded and began ushering everyone to the exits like the good little sheep herder she was. Damon turned and reached for Elena's hand. "Ready, sweetheart?" He asked. Elena turned to get one last look at the auditorium, at some of the people that she would likely never see again. Today was a milestone. One she had never imagined she'd see. She squeezed his hand and beamed at him.

"Always." She replied and reaching with her free hand to wrap around his forearm they strolled out together.

* * *

Damon watched as Elena wrapped her jacket tighter around her. Slipping off his tuxedo jacket, he placed it over her shoulders and rubbed them up and down vigorously to spread the warmth. "Better?" He asked. She beamed up at him and he smiled back at her.

"Much."

The elevator doors chimed as they opened on the roof top. Reaching for her hand, Damon twined her fingers through his and smiled when he saw the puzzled look on her face. He helped her off the elevator; the heels that Caroline had put her in this evening were hot. But definitely not the walking type. They were made for show. And the show they created was one Damon certainly looked forward to later this evening when she was wearing the heels and nothing but the heels, but…dammit. Focus. He pushed through the doors that led to the helipad, and the awaiting helicopter.

"What's this?" She asked. "A helicopter?" She turned to smirk at him. "How very Fifty Shades of you." She murmured then laughed. And he'd be damned if that phrase didn't spark all kinds of images. Caroline had insisted Elena read those stupid books earlier last year, saying that Christian fruitcake reminded her very much of Damon. Pfft. Christian Black or Grey or whatever the hell his name was had nothing on Damon Salvatore. Elena had read portions aloud to him, however and that had ended in some very steamy sexy times.

With a fond smile, Damon retorted. "I am nothing like him." Then he winked at her. "Though he may have been onto something with that whole sex room thing. I've been thinking of converting the guest room." At Elena's outright laugh, he grinned. Exactly the response he was looking for. "I bet you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Not waiting for her response, he didn't need one to know her answer, he moved on. "I'm borrowing Trump's helicopter for a portion of our evening." He had to yell to be heard about the noise the helicopter was making.

Elena's eyes took on a teasing glint. "Borrowing Donald Trump's, Damon? You don't have your own?"

He frowned down at her. "No. Never needed one. Should I invest in one?" He muttered to himself as he placed his hand on her back and ushered her to their awaiting ride. She laughed at him as he opened the door for her, helped her in and began buckling her in.

"I was just kidding." She murmured, knowing full well he'd hear her above the noise. He slid a pair of noise canceling headphones over her ears and positioned the microphone in front of her mouth. Leaning forward, he kissed her nose, and then tapped it with his finger.

"Adorable." He smiled. She sighed and looked out over the Chicago skyline which was already impressive just from the view at the top of the Trump Tower. The pilot turned around and smiled at her as Damon slid in and took his seat. He quickly secured himself and tugged on a set of headphones for himself. Tweaking the microphone, he told the pilot that they were good for takeoff and he nodded and began speaking to Air Traffic Control. Reaching for her hand, Damon threaded his fingers through hers again. Even after all these years, he still could not get enough of touching her. Hand holding, hugs, playing with her hair, cuddling after sex, cuddling before sex. Sex. It was almost as if he still couldn't believe she was there. If he stopped touching her, she might disappear. And he would wake up and discover it was all a dream. But he never woke up. Not from this dream. And that's exactly what the past few years had been. A dream. Sure, they didn't always get along. They were a couple. Couple's fought. And made up, he thought with a grin. No, he had a spare room for a reason. There were times when he slept in the guest bedroom. Not for long and usually because he felt this overwhelming need to touch her again so he'd moan and groan but he'd apologize and she'd forgive him, but the fights still happened.

His thumb rubbed casually over the scar on her wrist and she squirmed a bit. Glancing over at her, he gave her a reassuring smile. There were scars on both wrists, but the right one was a bit more prominent. They didn't talk about those two scary days much, had only talked about it twice in fact. Elena would still wake up from nightmares. He'd told her when they'd first moved here that she could tell him, if she wanted to. When she'd finally opened up to him about what had happened to her it had been after a nightmare, a middle of the day nap. The stress of finals had brought it on, and before she could say anything Damon had gotten up to pour himself a drink. He didn't drink much these days anymore, but he'd had an inkling he'd need to be mellow to hear the story of her abduction and her time with the two crazies. His hand had trembled as he'd brought the glass to his lips. He could do this. He could listen to this. For her. He'd already avenged her. Already righted the wrong. It was time he learned exactly what he'd righted. She had curled up into his side, not wanting to look at his face. The anger there would break her, even knowing it was not directed at her. They were sitting on the couch, side by side, his arm around her shoulders and both staring out at the beautiful view of the city but both not seeing it. She spoke softly, in short clipped sentences. Though she mentioned the times Tyler had shown her compassion with the water and occasional offerings of food, it still rankled him the way she had been treated. He had flexed his hand, bunching it into a fist. Elena reached down and covered his hand with hers. "I lived through it." She whispered, bringing him back to the present.

"Barely." He snapped, still seething.

"It sucked, yes. But you saved me." She reminded him.

"Barely." He repeated.

"Damon." She turned his face toward hers. "You saved me." His sorrow laden eyes met hers.

"I tried." He insisted. A lone tear fell from his eye and embarrassed he looked away from her. "I'm so sorry you had to go through it." He whispered. She placed both of her palms on his cheeks and leaned her forehead onto his.

"You succeeded, Damon. Every day, you save me." He huffed and she sealed her lips over his, silencing his protests immediately. She used her thumb to wipe away the streak left by his tear. She smiled at him. "Now, what's this all about?" She asked, gesturing at their surroundings with her hand. He shook his head, effectively shaking off his sullen mood.

"A graduation present." He said, smiling down at her. She raised an eyebrow at him. "And if you decide you love helicopter rides, I may end up buying one. Maybe take some flying lessons." At Elena's smirk, he pointed at Lake Michigan where the sun was softly setting. Elena snuggled into his side and stared at the skyline as they flew out over the lake. Damon pointed out a few landmarks here and there both on his side and her side. They were both familiar enough with the Chicago area now, to know where most of the good stuff was. Night swiftly began to fall and the Chicago skyline was lighting up beautifully. Damon pointed out the restaurant in which they were having the Graduation dinner/party Caroline was throwing, and a few other things. They made one last sweep out over the lake and Damon checked his watch. Elena frowned at him.

"Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Just checking the time. Can't be late for Caroline's party." He murmured. And then gulped. He sounded nervous. Did he sound nervous? Could Elena tell? His answer seemed to appease her and she resumed looking out her window, giving him just enough time to reach in his pocket. The pilot was expertly guiding them through downtown. She was staring at the skyscrapers intently, marveling at the architecture, the detail and the beauty of the city when she started to notice a pattern. He watched her brows pull together as she started to make sense of it. She laughed as she tugged on his shirt sleeve, not taking her eyes off of it. "Look!" She pointed at the buildings, still not looking at him. The lights were lit across several different floors, several different buildings. Seven, Damon knew for a fact. Each spelling out a different letter. M-A-R-R-Y-M-E. "Is that not the sweetest thing?" Elena smiled, speaking into her headset. Damon didn't respond. She turned her head, eager for him to see it, curious to know why he wasn't responding and her jaw dropped. He had silently unbuckled himself from his seat, had turned discreetly and was holding in between his index finger and thumb a beautiful diamond engagement ring.

It wasn't flashy. Elena wasn't flashy. He'd spent hours scouring different stores before he'd finally decided that he wouldn't find it in a store. On the next visit home, he'd pulled a box from a hidden place deep within his closet, one no one knew about. His mother's wedding ring. It was old, and outdated, but the stone was perfect. He had taken it to a friend of his in Chicago, had him completely redesign it. He didn't want one out of a catalog. Elena was special. She didn't deserve a ring that had been duplicated for thousands of other women to wear. So this was a one of a kind deal. It was a platinum band with his mother's round one karat diamond in the center flanked on each side discreetly by two lapis lazuli which he'd already had Bonnie take care of. Just in case. He wasn't counting on it. But he wouldn't bet against it, either. Would never bet against Elena.

Her eyes glistened with tears and her hand flew to cover her mouth and his throat closed for a fraction of a second before he began. "Elena Gilbert, no words can begin to express my feelings for you. The past four years have been the most amazing years of my entire existence. Whether you decide to spend the rest of your life as a human or like me I want to be a part of every second of it. Will you do me the great honor of becoming my wife?"

"Yes." She whispered. "Yes!" Excitement and love and a billion other overwhelming emotions bubbled up out of him and Damon laughed as he slid the ring onto her left ring finger. She threw her arms around his neck. "I love you." She said into his neck. She tried to unbuckle herself to scoot closer but he shook his head swiftly at her. She pursed her lips in a pout and Damon almost relented. But it wasn't safe and she was still human. And they were almost home. She was practically bouncing in her seat from the excitement and Damon couldn't think of anytime in his life that he'd been happier. "You don't do anything half assed, do you?" Elena asked.

"Never with you, Gilbert." He replied with a soft smile, brushed his lips across hers sweetly.

"Salvatore." Elena whispered and Damon closed his eyes, blew out a trembling breath. That sounded amazing.

"Jesus, Elena." She didn't say anything, and Damon knew from experience he'd better turn to look at her. She pushed her microphone out of the way so as not to be overheard.

"How much longer?" She asked. Damon glanced at his watch; they were scheduled to return any minute. The Trump Tower came into view. He pointed at it and Elena squirmed in her seat.

"Good." She whispered. She not so subtly brushed her arm over the crotch of his pants and Damon instantly knew they were going to be late for the dinner party. Very late.

* * *

A few days later, they were all packed up. Elena held a few shopping bags she had picked up some last minute gifts for the baby in some of Chicago's cuter boutiques early this morning. They were flying to Mystic Falls for the baby shower today then hopping a plane to Europe, spending a week with Caroline and Stefan in Southern France then moving over to Italy to spend the rest of the summer in a villa Damon owned. From there, Elena had no idea what Damon had planned. She had a few ideas herself though. She'd just have to wait. She'd spoken to Caroline at the party, and though she'd protested and fussed, Caroline was now her sister in secrecy and Elena knew that she would help convince Damon when the time was right. And she knew in the end, Damon would never be able to do it, so it would fall to Caroline. That was the part Caroline had hated the most, but Elena insisted. And Caroline wouldn't deny her. Not after everything. Elena's 23rd birthday was just around the corner and she didn't plan on getting much older than that.

Elena looked over the condo in fondness. She was really going to miss this place. It had been their home for the last four years and she and Damon had made some great memories here. He stepped up behind her. "We'll come back. Promise." He whispered to her. "There are some other places I want to take you first. I haven't been able to show you the world yet, Elena." She turned to look at him over her shoulder at him.

"I know. It's just this feels like home now." She said softly, as Damon flicked the lights off. Damon quirked a brow at her and humphed. "It doesn't to you?"

He rolled his eyes. "You're my home, Gilbert." He told her, realizing how cheesy the line sounded after he said it.

"Salvatore." Elena corrected him with a smile.

"Not yet." He told her with a wink. She frowned and flashed her ring which sparkled so prettily in the sunlight. She couldn't seem to stop smiling since he had placed it on her finger.

"Soon." She whispered. She moved into him, tucking herself under his arm, wrapping her arms around his waist. She laid her head on his shoulder. "You're my home too, Salvatore. I'm just really going to miss this place."

"I promise in a couple of years we'll come back. Hell, if after this summer you want to apply for jobs and The Tribune hires you we'll come back then. I've got other homes, Elena. Other places you're going to fall in love with." He tugged her gently, smacked her butt to get her moving. "C'mon. We'll miss our flight. And Little Miss Plans-a-lot will kick my ass if we're late to two of her parties in a row." She trailed behind him, looked over her shoulder as he snagged their last bag. She locked the door behind them and turned to face him. The smile on his face was bright, his eyes full of mischief. It was contagious. He held out his hand. "Ready for an adventure?"

"With you?" Elena smiled, slipping her hand into his. "I'm ready for anything."

**Aw, it's over. :'( It's been done for a while…but I didn't want to part with it. And...I packed a lot of stuff in here and I was going to throw in a lemon but felt it didn't really flow with the fic. Hopefully I answered a lot of your questions, about relationships and characters and will she or won't she… thanks again to everybody for reading and reviewing! Much love from me to you! And I hope you'll follow me onto my next adventure! **

**~ Jules**


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